by AURENC BEBJA
The Swiss newspaper “La Guerre Mondiale” published on July 15, 1915, a letter from Sam Levy, former editor-in-chief of the “Journal de Salonique”, in which the renowned journalist defended our national interests against the numerous enemies that surrounded us.
Aurenc Bebja has provided the full content of the document below:
“Sir and dear colleague, I have just read the very moving appeal of the Macedonian students of Geneva, which was published a few days ago in your esteemed daily, to draw the attention of the civilized world to their unfortunate homeland.
Believing in the spirit of absolute impartiality of “La Guerre Mondiale”, I take the liberty of raising my small voice in favor of another victim, perhaps the greatest, of the Italo-Turkish conflicts, about which Europe is not seriously concerned. I am talking about the Albanian nation, direct descendant of the Pelasgians, these ancestors of the European nations.
Without the help of the Albanians, without their revolution of 1912, without their refusal to lay down their weapons at the moment when the Balkans crossed the borders of Macedonia, not only would Turkey not have been defeated, but the first Balkan war would also have been impossible.
This first Balkan war was undertaken to liberate oppressed peoples, to triumph over the principles and rights of nationalities and minorities. Modifications of the status quo ante oriental were accepted by Europe only on the basis of the “Balkans of the Balkans”.
But what are we seeing? The oldest Balkan people, the same one that, over the centuries, has been able to withstand the Turkish invasions, to remain untouchable from the most remote antiquity to the present day, is now the object of greed of all its neighbors, as it was the nest of all the intrigues of other peoples. Europe not only does not hold its greedy people accountable, but it seems to encourage them to save their voices for the day of final reckoning.
If the greedy would be content with a temporary or final occupation of territories known to the entire universe mainly Albanian, the evil might not be so great. But the invaders act in a notorious manner towards the poor Albanian class, raping women and children, executing without any kind of trial all those who dare to formulate the slightest opposition, in a word, they terrorize the people. The Albanians, unfortunately, are accused of being the authors of the most terrible crimes that the enemy legions claim to avenge.
This is how the principle of nationalities is respected even by those who have declared that they want to liberate the oppressed peoples or die! This is how the Albanians, the first to raise the flag of revolt and subsequently facilitated the work (attacks) of the Balkan allies, are rewarded! This is how the small peoples who, until yesterday, groaned under the yoke of slavery, now become oppressors of the worst kind.
If such abuses (abominations) are tolerated, the result will not be the enslavement of Albanians, even if they exterminate half of them, but the growth of hatred, leaving the hotbeds of revolt half-extinguished, which thus reserves, in a more or less near future, new uprisings, that is, new threats to peace in general.
Despite serious European concerns, and even because of these concerns, the small Balkan states should try to put into practice the principles they have applied during the last quarter of a century. By respecting Albania, to which they should be grateful for the fact that it first set the example of the uprising for independence and freedom, they will thus perform a great service to themselves, which will also serve civilized countries, by sparing themselves future worries, moral and effective pain later.”
Please, dear colleague, etc.
Sam Levy
Former editor-in-chief of the Journal de Salonique”.
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