odify their
opinions, one of the best-informed writers on Triest and Istria, A.
Vivante, a native of Triest, in his _L'irredentismo adriatico_ (1912) is
a most determined adversary to an Italian occupation of Istria or
Triest; his book has been withdrawn from circulation by the Italian
Government. Other resolute opponents have been all the inhabitants of
Triest, except the extreme Nationalists. The town's prosperity dated
from the time when the Habsburgs were driven out of Italy. Triest has
not forgotten what occurred when she and Venice were under the same
sceptre; and this it was which brought about, at Austria's collapse, the
autonomous administration in which practically all the elements of the
town participated. Only the Irridentists then thought that Triest's
liberation need involve union with Italy and economic separation from
the hinterland on which it depends.... When the occupation started, in
November 1918, the Chief of the Italian police summoned before him the
members of the Yugoslav National Council of Triest. Only two of them
answered the summons, whereupon a lieutenant read them the following
order from the Italian Governor: "In view of the fact that the Italians
troops have occupied the line of demarcation and that traffic over this
line is suspended for the former Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, it is
ordered that, for strategical reasons, the South Slav National Council
in Triest be dissolved and its offices closed." The Slovenes demanded a
copy of this order, which, however, was refused. They were not allowed
to depart until the books and national emblems had been removed from the
premises of the National Council, the doors sealed and a guard
stationed. "We others, Italians," an Italian writer had said in the
_Edinost_, the Slovene paper of Triest, on August 18, 1918, "should
understand that if we want our freedom we must see that this is likewise
given to our neighbours." And the _Mercure de France_ of October
remarked that these wise words would be listened to at Rome. In the
realm of navigation the Italians were not idle. They started at once to
negotiate with the Austrians for the sale to themselves of the Lloyd
Steamship Company, the Austro-Americana and the Navigazione Libera, the
three largest Austrian companies. By the end of February 1919, a Mr.
Ivan [vS]vegel related in a well-informed article,[31] the Italians had,
by acquiring a large portion of their shares, obtained the decisive
influence in