ld not go by
the direct road; they were forced to sail down the Bojana on the Italian
ship _Mafalda_, and then along the coast. This, I presume, will be
considered sufficiently strong evidence that these deputies did not
represent the people, and that their independence was not exactly of the
sort ascribed to Gurakuqi by a writer in the _Times_;[104] one need not
labour the point by mentioning what happened to Father Vincent Prennushi
whose candidature was vetoed in Rome, so that he was replaced by Father
Fichta.

This being the state of things one can scarcely argue that the people of
the north are in favour of a united Albania, as it seemeth good to the
Ambassadors' Conference, the League of Nations, etc. "We Germans,
knowing Germany and France," said Treitschke in 1871, "know what is good
for the Alsatians better than these unfortunates themselves.... Against
their will we wish to restore them to themselves." The north Albanian
deputies may join with those of the south and call themselves the group
of "sacred union"; but they themselves are well aware that it is only in
the south-central districts that the Government has a majority. That is
one of the reasons why the seat of Government is Tirana in the central
part of the country, for the Cabinet lives in apprehension of the
followers of the late Essad Pasha, and by residing in that country they
hope to be able to keep it quiet. How long will they be able to do so?
Have they statesmanship enough to turn aside the animosity of their own
countrymen? Does their Premier and Foreign Minister, Mr. Pandeli
Evangheli, possess intellectual resources of a higher order than those
which one commonly associates with the ownership of a small
wine-shop?--that was his occupation till he came, some two years ago,
from Bucharest. When this gentleman had a, perhaps temporary, fall from
power, the _Times_ of December 16, 1921, wrote of him that "there is no
Albanian public man with a better record for long disinterested service
in his country's cause." Alas, poor Albania! We may surmise that Mr.
Evangheli and his companions do not rely very greatly on their Western
European patrons who, when it comes to the pinch, will do very little
for them. I should be surprised to hear that they have caused the
provisions of the Ambassadors' Conference to be traced in golden letters
on a wall of their council chamber. And I doubt whether they take very
great stock of a resolution signed in November