mber 1920 all the outside world was congratulating the Italians
and the Yugoslavs on having, after many fruitless efforts of their
statesmen, come to this agreement. The opinion was expressed that both
of the contracting parties would henceforth be satisfied, since each of
them was conscious that the other had accepted something less than his
desires. It was noted that the Yugoslavs exhibited more generosity, as
they gave up some half a million of their countrymen, while the Italians
yielded in Dalmatia that to which they had no right. The Yugoslavs had,
in the past two years, shown so much more forbearance than was usually
expected of a vigorous young nation that the commentators for the most
part fancied they would not waste any time in grieving over these
inevitable sacrifices. It is freely said that if a liberal spirit is
displayed by the Italians at the various points where they and
Yugoslavia are in contact, both people will settle down, with no
afterthoughts, to friendly and neighbourly relations. But it would be
foolish to close our eyes to the fact that the position at Rieka and
Zadar, not to speak of any other places, bristles with difficulties. At
Rieka one hopes that the largest and wisest party, the Autonomists, will
now come into their rights; no doubt a good many of those opportunist
citizens who, at the time of the Italian occupation, developed into
Italianissimi, after having previously been known as more or less
platonic lovers of Italy, Hungary, or Croatia with ambitions chiefly
centred on their native town, will presently assure you that in the Free
State they are convinced Free Staters; but the local politicians have
been living for so long in such a thoroughly oppressive atmosphere that
most of those who have been prominent should for a season now retire. It
will be difficult enough for this harassed port to settle down to
business. As for the Zadar enclave, it is not easy to understand why an
Italian majority in this little town should bring it under the Italian
flag while the overwhelming Slav majorities of central and eastern
Istria have been ignored. And with all the goodwill in the world the
existence of this minute colony encircled by Yugoslav lands will
scarcely make more easy the conduct of relations between Yugoslavia and
Italy. It is naturally to the interest of both countries that
misunderstandings and suspicions should be swept away. And from this
point of view it is very doubtful whether