ll the million favours
showered on the Autonomists by their beloved friends the Magyars, after
all the dark electioneering tricks and gutter legislation which for
years had been committed by the Magyars to the end that the Autonomists
and they should have all the amenities of some one else's house, it
surely is the acme of ingratitude to call this tottering benefactor
"Hote insalue." If the Autonomists did not desire to reap advantages
from any Magyar corruption, they might at any time since November 17,
1868, have torn the swindling piece of paper, the "krpitsa," from the
Agreement made between the Magyars and the Croats. Then the Croat would
not have been kept for all these years a slave in his own home.... But
on October 28, 1918, the "krpitsa" had no more weight, the iniquitous
Agreement was obsolete, the Croats came into possession of their own.
The Compromise of 1868, which gave the administration of Rieka
provisionally to the Magyars, was formally denounced on October 29, so
that the _status quo ante_ returned, and Rieka was again an integral
part of the Kingdom of Croatia. The Croatian Government (that is, the
National Council) had then every right to depute its adherents at Rieka
to undertake the affairs of that town. Dr. Vio was too much of a lawyer
to dispute the legality of any of these statements....

THE DRAMA BEGINS

Some of the leading citizens of Rieka formed themselves into a Croat
National Council; Dr. Bakar[vc]i['c] and Dr. Lenac went up to the
Governor's palace, and with them went Dr. Vio, as delegate of the town
council. He said they recognized the Croatian Government, on condition
that the town's municipal autonomy was guaranteed. To this they readily
consented, with respect to the Italian language, to their schools and to
the existing town administration, thus agreeing to every suggestion
which Dr. Vio made. Moreover they gave him the town register (of births,
etc.), which the Magyars had appropriated and which was now discovered
at the palace. This was at 9 a.m. on October 30. Dr. Vio said that he
was glad that everything had been arranged so amicably. But on the same
evening the Italian National Council elected itself, for a large number
of the Autonomist party had now become the Italian party. There still
remained, however, an Autonomist party, which was no longer inspired,
like the old Autonomists, by despotic sentiments towards the Croats, but
by a feeling that in consequence of this long