"If once we begin to march," so the Italian
soldiers at Rieka had over and over again been telling the Croats, "then
we shall not halt before we come to Zagreb, your capital." Those five
will perhaps some day explain to their comrades how quickly Zagreb can
be reached.... As yet those whom they left behind them had not lost
their bombast: a manifesto was issued by them which declared that five
true patriots had sallied forth to Saint Anna, for the purpose of
parleying with the Constituent Assembly, and that in a barbarous fashion
they had been arrested, maltreated and possibly killed. Let the people
avenge the shedding of such noble blood. Everything, everything must be
done in order to liberate the captured brethren. And so, towards eleven
at night, about sixty fascisti and legionaries came together. Armed to
the teeth, they designed to cross over into Yugoslav territory, but when
they noticed that the sentry posts had been strengthened they went home
to bed.

A number of American and European journalists rushed out to Belgrade,
under the impression that the Yugoslav-Italian War could now no longer
be avoided. But they did not realize how great a self-control the
Yugoslavs possess. It may be, as a commentator put it in the
_Nation_,[69] that Italy "is practically at war with Yugoslavia," for
she is obsessed by the "Pan-Slav menace"; but if they insist on the
arbitrament of arms they will have to wait until the Yugoslavs have time
to deal with them.... The Free State of Rieka owes its existence to a
Treaty between Italy and Yugoslavia; both of them should therefore
guarantee its freedom. Italian and Yugoslav _gendarmerie_ and troops
should resist together the incursions of fascisti; and if the two races
cannot work in harmony, then let the administration of the town be
entrusted to neutral troops; and as High Commissioner one would suggest
Mr. Blakeney, the British Consul at Belgrade. If this imperturbable and
most kindly man were to fail in the attempt at repeating in Rieka what
has been accomplished in Danzig, then, indeed, one might despair; but he
would brilliantly and placidly succeed. All the other qualifications are
his; an intimate knowledge of every Near Eastern language--and, of
course, Italian; a perfect acquaintance with the mentality of all those
peoples; common sense of an uncommon order, and the whole-hearted
confidence of those with whom he comes into contact. Great Britain and
France compelled the Yugos