jana.

However, the Italians--officially or unofficially--will not yet awhile
leave Albania. And how will this retard or modify the reasonableness of
those parts which acknowledge Tirana? As for the town of Scutari, it is
probable that if she found herself permanently cut off by the Mirditi
from direct communication with Tirana she would allow her incipient
independence to come more to the surface. With Tirana less capable of
enforcing her behests the Scutarenes would gradually venture to act in
their own interests; they would aim at local autonomy within the sphere
of Yugoslav influence and in the same sphere as their markets. It is to
be hoped that Yugoslavia will be prepared for this, since she does not
possess too many educated citizens who understand the Albanian
mentality. A course of conduct which pays no attention to this would
alienate even the Turks from Podgorica and Dulcigno, whose acquaintance
with the very language of Albania is so limited. There seems, however,
to be no reason why the mixed population of Albanian Moslems and
Catholics, of Orthodox Serbs and of Moslems who declined to come under
the all-too-patriarchal rule of Nicholas of Montenegro should not have
the same happy experience as the inhabitants of Djakovica and Prizren.
Later on the Scutarenes will be called upon to decide whether they
prefer, like those other predominantly Albanian towns, to remain in
Yugoslavia or whether they wish to throw in their lot with a free
Albania, and in that case their town would become the capital of the
country. Failing Scutari, the capital would most probably be Oroshi,
which is now the capital of the Mirditi.

And why, we may be asked, why should not Tirana be the capital? In the
central parts of Albania, in the country round Tirana, where the natives
are derisively called "llape" by the warriors of the north and by the
cultured Albanians of the south, we believe that the assistance of Italy
will be unable to prevent a collapse. (It must also be remembered that
the people of the district of Tirana are, for the most part, in
opposition to the present Tirana Government. This became clear when the
partisans of Essad Pasha's policy[98] overthrew and imprisoned the
Tirana Ministers.) Economically and morally Tirana will decline, until
she is compelled to seek a union with the people of northern Albania,
those of the south having meanwhile gravitated towards Greece. Then the
moment will arrive when the north and