of French money tried to
establish Essad as Prince in vain. Essad, however, levied custom
dues, and with that and the French money was wealthy, and withdrew
to Salonika, where he tried to pose as an exiled monarch, but failed
to raise an Albanian army. He never dared return to Albania but
lived in luxury in Paris on his ill-gotten wealth till he was
assassinated on June 15th by an Albanian student.

On December 25th the Italians landed suddenly at Valona under
pretence of protecting it from the Greeks.

All now made ready to tear Albania to pieces, in spite of the
International guarantee. The Montenegrins seized Scutari in 1915.
The Serbs hurried to take Durazzo. But then came the Austrian
attack. Caught in a bad position, the Serbs had had to fly to
Scutari with the Austrians after them. In consequence the Allies
evacuated Scutari, and left the Albanians to their fate. Had the
Allies resolutely forbidden the Montenegrins to seize Scutari in
1915, and enlisted the Albanian tribesmen, guaranteeing their
independence and the restoration of at least a portion of their lost
land, the Serbian debacle might have been saved, and the results
been very different. Such a plan was proposed by the Foreign Office,
and I and some others asked to enlist the men. But Russia and, I
believe, France vetoed it. Consequently the Bulgars and Austrians
took and held most of north and central Albania till the armistice.

In the south King Constantine's troops seized Albania and used it as
a line of communication with the Austrian army till the Italians
pressed down from Valeria to evict them, and the French advanced
from Salonika to Koritza, which they found guarded by armed
Albanians. These gladly admitted the French on condition the whole
district was recognized as Albanian. The French Government agreed,
and on December 11, 1916, Colonel Descouins proclaimed the Koritza
district an Albani Republic, and hoisted the Albanian flag amid
great popular rejoicing. A government was speedily organized, and a
great number of Albanian schools opened, and filled, throughout the
new Republic, which included two hundred thousand souls, and
flourished till Greece joined the Allies. Trouble then began, as
the Greeks demanded Koritza as part of their price for "coming in."
And to placate Greece, Greek schools, which had been closed, were
re-opened. The dismay of Albania, who had trusted in the promises of
the French, was great.

But hope rose strongly