The reconstruction of South-Eastern Europe

SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE

(4) Italy, for reasons of military efficiency, must have a strong natural frontier against her new Slavonic neighbour.

(5) The last, but perhaps not the least, argument for the Italian occupation of the opposite coast of the Adriatic is the fear lest Russia should seize the future Serbian ports of the Adriatic, and thus threaten the security of Italy.

The issues involved in the just solution of the problem of the Adriatic are of such tremendous importance, not only for Italians and Serbians, but also for all neighbouring nations, as well as for European peace in general, that I think no apology is necessary for going at some length into the above arguments.

The first contention that the Adriatic is an Italian sea, and must be militarily controlled by Italy, is a shallow piece of reasoning, whose kind is produced from time to time in every country by the heads of over-zealous patriots. In such a way the Germans may fairly pretend that the Baltic Sea belongs to them, and the occupation of the Great and Little Belt would be a piece of justice, and only the assertion of lawful national rights. To-day it is hardly possible to find any sound-minded people who would deny that the seas and oceans are vast fields given by the Creator in common to all nations upon the earth for peaceful interchange of goods and friendly relations between them.

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