D 651 .flS D3 Copy 1 ALBANIA'S Rights and ClairrivS to Independence and Territorial Integrity Te Drejtat dhe Kerkimet e Shqiperise per Independence dhe Teresine e Vend it ALBANIA'S Rights and Claims to Independence and Territorial Integrity Te Drejtat dhe Kerkimet e Shqiperise per Independence dhe Teresine e Vendit ^7'^ri 1\ fc.51 Copyright 1918 by CHRISTO A. DAKO. ALBANIA'S Claims and Rights to Independence and Territorial Integrity? Ptolemy is the earliest writer who makes mention of the Albanians, but in fact the Skhiptars, sons of the Rock Eagle, as they call themselves, are the most ancient existing race in Europe, the autochthonous inhabitants of the Balkan Peninsula, which they have ruled for thousands of years before the Barbar- ians ever crossed the Danube. They are the descendants of the ancient Ma- cedonians, Illyrians and Epirotes, who are the offsprings of the Pelasgians. The Albanians are of a stock with striking physical and mental character- istics. History gives us a list of cele- brated Albanians, surprising both in quality and quantity for the wide field in which distinction has been won. In all ages the Albanians have forced their way to the front in the affairs of the world. Alexander the Great, Pyrrhus, Teuta,Scanderbeg, Ali Pasha of Janina, Mehmet Ali Pasha, the liberator of Egypt, Crispi, the great statesman of + This is the text of the statement regarding Albania's rights and claims to independence and territorial integrity which was sent to President Wilson. Italy, and Trikupis, the statesman of Greece are but a few of these. The heroic resistance offered by the Albanians in the past against the Ro- mans, the Goths, the Huns, the Serbs, the Bulgars, and the Normans has been nothing short of marvellous. They have survived five great Empires and success- fully resisted every effort to denation- alize them. They have retained their language, their national customs and traditions throughout all centuries, thus proving to be incapable of being con- quered and assimilated. In the fifteenth century, while Europe was enjoying the blessings of Renais- sance, the Albanians led by the cele- brated hero George Castriota Scander- beg, overw^helmed more than a score of the Turkish armies, some of which were under the personal command of the Sul- tans and hindered them from carrying their invasion any farther into Europe, thus insuring peaceful times for the west- ern nations and enabling them to reach their high state of civilization and learn- ing. After the death of Scanderbeg our country fell into the misrule of the Otto- mans, who inaugurated a system of op- pression and persecution, and deprived 4 them of the sacred right to educate themselves in their own language while the toreign propaganda and intrigue had a wide open door and a free hand to di- vide and denationalize the Albanian na- tion.. This foreign propaganda and in- trigue was of such a nature that it ha^ not disappeared entirely from amongst us even in this country, which is void of such manoeuvres. Yet, the vitality of the Albanian na- tion as a whole is such that it kept in- tact the national characteristics, audit arose more than once demanding ter- ritorial integrity and independence; but some of the Great Powers, for the sake of their own interests preferred to main- tain the status quo of Turkey rather than sanction the independence of Al- bania. In 1912 during the Balkan war, Al- bania became the bone of contention of Serbia, Greece, Bulgaria and Montene- gro, which were contemplating its full partition; but Italy and Austria stepped in to prevent such an eventuality. Meanwhile the Albanians under the leadership of their veteran statesman Ismail Kemal Bey Vlora proclaimed the independence of their country and ap- pealed to Europe for the integrity of 5 Albania. A month later the London Conference compelled by this, real and democratic force of the creation of this new state, and as a confession of faith in the principle of nationality, sanctioned the independence of Albania, which was proclaimed by the Albanians themselves on the 28th of November, 1912. Unfortunately a great part of the Al- banian territory was unjustly and un- wisely severed from its trunk and grafted on Montenegro, Serbia and Greece. Our greedy neighbors were not satisfied with what they got thru the London Confer- ence, but at once started and invaded the country in spite of their solemn dec- larations that they accept the decisions of the European Concert, and destroyed the machinery of the newly born state before it had time to get on its feet. The atrocities and massacres committed by the invading forces during the sum- mer of 1914, just preceding the European War, will remain a bloody stain in the history of the world. We are glad to learn that the Greek and the Serbian statesmen and patriots are beginning to realize that the natural field of expansion is not towards Southern Albania or "Epirus," or towards North- ern Albania or "Old Serbia," whose pop- 6 ulation is entirely Albanian by race, language and sentiment; but for Greece, towards the east, the islands of the Aegean Sea and along the Asia Minor coast; and, for Serbia, towards the north, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Croatia, etc. At present Albania, though neutral created by the European Concert, is overrun by the belligerent Powers, and is suffering in silence, even more than Bel- gium. Ever since the beginning of the great war the Albanians, faithful to the just cause of the Allies — who are fighting for the triumph of the sacred principles of nationalities — and loyal inhabitants of the U. S., are rejoicing to hear the noble voice and know of President Wilson's demands for the protection of the rights of the small nationalities. Our joy is greater now seeing the American flag crossing the Atlantic having as motto, "Reign of law, based upon the consent of the governed and sustained by the organized opinion of mankind." Considering that all attempts made in the past to solve the near East prob- lem which did not take into account the rights of the Albanian element have proved to be entirely failures; consider- ing that so long as a single nation any- 7 where remains under the heels of the conquerors, so long the peace of the world is insecure; considering that the peace following this war cannot be dur- able, cannot be permanent if ancient in- justices are perpetuated; considering the firm determination of the Allie^■ to fight for a final settlement, we are fully con- vinced that the great and noble princi- ples of the American nation will triumph, and that Albania, among other small nations vvill be granted her just claims for full political and economical inde- pendence and territorial integrity. The Albanians justly demand all lands in the west of the Balkan Penin- sula, which are inhabited by Albanians. The boundary can be easily followed on any map. From the Boiana river it keeps to the former Montenegrin fron- tier on the north till it reaches the dis- trict of Novibazar, south of Berane, whence it follows the river I bar to Mitro- vitza. It includes the railway line as far south as Kupruli taking in Ferizo- vik and Uskup. From Kupruli the boundary runs south to the angle of the Monastir railway near Fiorina between lakes Prespa and Ostrovo and then strikes east to a point nearly south of Lake Prespa, leaving out Kastoria^ whence it runs due south to the old Greek frontier. Wadham Peacock in his book, ''Al- bania, the foundUng state of Europe," speaking of the territory inhabited by Albanians and of thei-r claims says, "This attempt at the delimitation of the boundary would no doubt have been accepted by the London Conference if the Albainans were strong enough or popular enough to command a propa- ganda such as has been worked by the friends of the Greeks, the Bulgars and the Serbians, for it included the country in which the Albanians are undoubtedly in the majority, and in which the other nationalities have only maintained them- selves by the most unscrupulous religious and political intrigues." Mr. Rene Pinon, another impartial authority on the Balkan problem speaking on the same subject says: ''Des plaines du Vardar a I'Adriatique de la Thessalie au Montenegro, I'Alba- nais est maitre par le droit du premier occupant et par le droit du plus fort." To mighty, just and freedom-loving America falls the task, yea the honor of defending the right claims of this friendless nation that it may enjoy the right of developing freely and peacefully 9 a civilization of her own, being entitled as a distinct nationality with its own race and language to the same status accorded to all other small states. Christo a. Dako. MiHAL Grameno. Te Drejtat edhe Kerkimet e Shqiperise per independence edhe per Teresine e Vendit.* Ptolomeu eshte i pari shkrimtar, i cili ben fjale per Shqipetaret, mire po Shqi- petaret, bijte te Shkabes Malesore, si- kunder ata e quajnevetene tyre, jane raca me e vjeter, qe ndodhet ne Evrope, ndenjesit autoktone te Sinisise Ballkanit, te cilen e qeverisne per mi j era vjete me pare se te kaperxejne Barbaret Tunen. Shqipetaret jane sterniperit te Maqe- dhonasvet vjeter, te Ilirianevet edhe te Epirotevet, te cilet ishin zbritesit e Pe- lasgevet. Shqipetaret jane prej nje brume me cilesi fizike edhe mendore te gquara. Historia na jep nje Hste Shqipetaresh te square si nga cilesia keshtu edhe nga sasia, edhe fushaten e gjere ne te cilen veperuan. Ne tere brezat Shqipetaret kane qendruare ne balle, ne punerat e botes. Aleksandri i Math, Pirua, Tevta, Skenderbeu, AH Pashe Janina, Mehmet AH Pasha, qe Hroj Misirin, Crispi, bure shteti i ItaHse, Trikupi, bure shteti i Greqise, jane ca nga keta. + Ky eshte teksti shqip i Memorandumit qe ju dergua Prezidentit Wilson me 20 Korrlkut prej ZZ. Christo Dako edhe Mihal Grameno. Qendrimi heroik qe treguan Sqipe- taret ne koherat e kaluara kundre Ro- manevet, Gothevet, Hunevet, Serbevet^ Bullgarevet edhe Normanevet s'eshte m'e paket se nje gudi. Te bijte te Shka- bonjes permijetuan pese imperatori edhe udobisht kundreshtuan g'do perpjekje per t'i gkombesuar. E ruajtne gjuhen, zakonet kombetare edhe traditat ne tere brezat, edhe keshtu e provuan se jane nje komb qe nuku munt te vlhet nene thundre ose te tretet. Ne te 15-tin shekull, kur Evropa ishte dyke gezuar bekimet te Perlmdjes, Shqi- petaret nene udheheqjen te heroit tyre te fameshme George Castriota Scander- beg, muntne me shume se 20 ushteri Tyrke, nga te cilat disa ishin nene ko- manden personale te SuUtanevet vete, edhe keshtu i ndaluan t'a zgjatin push- timin e tyre me tej ne Evrope, edhe kesh- tu ju sigurua paqja popujvet perendimit edhe ju ndihmuan te harijne shkallen e larte te diturise edhe te qyteterimit. Pas vdekjes te Skenderbeut, vendi yne ra nene qeverimin te keq te Ottoma- nevet, te cilet nisneedhevune neveperim nje sistem shkelje edhe ndjekje kundre Shqipetarevet, edhe u mehuan te drejten e shenjte per t'u aresuar ne gjuhen e vet, kurse propagandes edhe intrlges huaj i 12 hapne dyerte edhe i dhane liri te plote t'e ndajne edhe t'e gkombesojne kombin Shqipetar. Kejo propagande edhe in- trige e huaj ka pasur nje te tille natyre sa edhe nukii eshte gdukur krejt nga redhi yne, edhe ne kete vent, i cili eshte i zbrazet nga te ketilla manevra. Me gjithe keto, fuqia jetore e kombit Shqipetar si nje trup eshte e tille sa mundi te ruanje te pa cenuara cilesite kombetare, edhe me shume se nje here u ngrit dyke kerkuar teresine te vendit edhe independencen; mire po disa nga Fuqite e Medha, nga shkaku i intere- savet tyre, e gjetne per me mire te per- mhaiine status quo te Tyrqise, se sate njo- hin edhe te vulosin independencen te Shqiperise. Me 1912, ne kohen te luftes Ballka- nike, Shqiperiau be kocke mosmareve- shjeje midis Serbise, Greqise, Bullgarise edhe Malit Zi, te cilat qellonin ndarjen e saj ; po Italia edhe Austria hyne ne mest per te ndaluare nje ngjarje te tille. Me keto e siper, Shqipetaret nene udhe- heqjen te veteranit bure Shteti, Ismail Qemal Bey Vlora, prokllamuan indepen- dencen te vendit tyre edhe i adresuan Evropes nje thirje per teresine te Shqi- perise. Nje muaj me von, Konferenca e Londres e shtrenguare prej kesaj fuqie 13 reale edhe demokratike qe krijoj kete shtet te ri, edhe si nje deshmin te besi- mit saj ne parimin te kombeslse vulosi independencen e Shqiperise, te cilen in- dependence e prokllamuan Sliqipetaret vehte me 28 te Vjeshtes trete 1912. Fatkeqerisht nje pjese e madhe e ven- -dit Shqiperise padrejtesisht edhe pa urte- sisht u ^keput nga trupi i saj edhe ju dha Malit Zi, Serbise edhe Greqise. Fqinjet tane lakmonjes nuku u kenaqne me ate qe muarne me anen te Konferences Lon- •dres, po per nje heresh nisne te shkehn vendin, me gjithe se kishin dekllaruar zyrtarisht se pranojne vendimet te Mble- -dhjes Evropes, edhe gkateruan maqi- nerinete ketij shteti qeposakishteUndur, me pare se te kete kohe te ngrihet me kembe. Ligesite edhe therjet qe u bene ne Shqiperi prej ushterivet invadore, ne vere te vitit 1914, pak kohe perpara luf- tes Evropjane do te mbeten nje leqe gjaku ne histori te botes. Gezohemi te mesojme se burat Shteti edhe patriotet te Greqise edhe te Ser- bise zune te kupetojne se fusha naturale per zgjerimin e tyre nuku eshte as Shqi- peri'e Juges ose "Epiri," as Shqiperi'e Veriut, ose "Serbia e Vjeter," ndenjesit € te cilavet vise jane Shqipetare edhe nga raca, edhe nga gjuha edhe nga 14 ndjenjat; po, per Greqine, ne lindje, ne nisite te Detit Aegje, edhe ne Asi te Vo- gel; edhe, per Serbine, ne veri, ne Bosnje^ Herzegovine, Kroati, etj . . . Sot per sot Shqiperia, me gjithe qe u vendos prej Evropes te jete neutrale, eshte shkellur prej Fuqivet luftonjesve, edhe po vuan ne heshtje me shume se Belgjia. Qe kur se nisi lufta e madhe, Shqipe- taret, besnike te geshtjes se drejte te AHatevet te cilet po hiftojne per tri- umfin te parlmit te shenjte te kombesise edhe ndenjes besnike te Shtetevet te Bashkuara, po gezohen dyke degjuar zerin fisnik edhe ^yke mesuar kerkimet te Prezidentit Wilson per mprojtjen te te drejtavet te kombesivet te vogla. Gezimi yne eshte sot edhe me i math dyke pare Flamurin Amerikan te kaperxenje Atlandikun, dyke pasur si krye fjaler ''Te mbreteruarit te nomit, dyke pasur si themel lejen ose dashjen te te qeve- risurvet edhe perkrahjen te opinionit te organizuar te njerezimit." Dyke ditur se tere perpjekjet qe u bene, ne koherat e kaluara per te zgji- dhur problemeneBallkanit, pa marender sy te drejtat e elementit Shqipetar, rane krejt; dyke ditur se sa kohe nje komp, kudo qe te jete, mbetet nene dhundre te 15 pushtonjesvet, aqe kohe paq'e botes eshte e pasiguruar; dyke ditur se paqja qe do te pasonje kete lufte nuku do te jete e c^endruarshme edhe e gjithemo- neshme, ne qofte se padrejtesite e me pareshme vazhdojne; dyke ditur qen- ■drimin te patundur te Aliatevet per te luftuar per nje zgjidhje te sosur, jemi ploterisht te bindur se parlmet e medha edhe fisnike te popullit Amerikan do te triumfojne, edhe se Shqiperlse, midis te tjerave kombesi te vogla, do t'i jepen kerkimet e saja te drejta per indepen- dence te plote politike edhe ekonomike, si edhe teresia e vendit. Shqipetaret drejtesisht kerkojne tere viset ne perendimt te Senisise Ballkanit, te cilat jane te ndenjura prej Shqipe- taresh. Kufine te saj lehtazi munt t'e ndjekim ne ^'do harte. Nga lumi Bo- jana, kejo kufi pason kufine e vjeter te MaHt Zi, ne veri, gjer sa prek krahinen te Novipazarit, ne juge te Beranes,qe ku nis te ndjeke himin Ibar gjer ne Mitro- vice. Kufia pushton udhen e hekurte gjer ne QypruH dyke mare perbrenda Fe- rizovikun edhe Yskypin. Prej Qypry- Hse kufia drejtohet ne juge edhe pret udhe e hekurte Manastir Selenik prane Follorines, dyke shkuar midis Hqenevet te Prespes edhe te Ostroves, edhe pastaj 16 drejtohet ne lindje gjer ne nje pike, ne juge te llqenit Prespes dyke lene jashte Kosturin; se ketejml mer perseri drej- tlm jugor edhe dyke u zgjatur prek ku- fine e vjeter te Greqise. Wadham Peacock, ne libren e tij, "Albania, the foundling State of Eu- rope," dyke folur permi vendin ndenjur prej Shqipetaresh edhe per kerkimet e tyre thote, "Kejo perpjekje per te hequr kufine te Shqiperise, pa dyshim se do te ishte akseptuar prej Konferences Lon- dres, po te ishin Shqipetaret mjaft te forte ose mjaft popullore per tg koman- duar nje propagande si ate qe organi- zuam miqt'e Grekervet, te Bullgarevet, edhe te Serbevet, sepse pushtonte vendin, ne te cilin Shqipetaret me te vertet formojne shumicen, edhe ne te cilin \'ent kombesite e tjera qendruan dyke per- dorur intrigat me te dobeta fetare edhe politike." Zoti Rene Pinon, nje tjater shkronjes i paaneshme ne problemen e Ballkanit, dyke folur permi kete theme thote, "Prej fushavet te Vardarit gjer ne Adria- tik, prej Thessalise gjer ne Mai te Zi, Shqipetari eshte zot, edhe nga se eshte i pari ndenjes, edhe nga se eshte me i forti ne keto vise." Amerikes se fuqishme, se drejte edhe liri dashese i bije bara, po edhe nderi, per te mprojtur kerkimet te ketij kombi jetim, qe te munt te gezojne edhe Shqi- petaret te drejten per te gvilluar llrisht edhe ne paqtim qyteterimin e tyre dyke pasur te drejte, si nje komp i vegante, nga nje race e vegante, edhe me nje gjuhe te vegante, t'i jepet gjith ay shtet si edhe tere kombesivet te tjera te vogla. Christo a. Dako. MiHAL Gfameno. 18 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS llllllllii:ll lillll'lllitllllHIIlllllll 001 452 165 3