New York Times for Albanians in 1911: The most brilliant race in Europe, but they cannot grasp the idea of state

On May 21, 1911, American prestige “The York Times” dedicated an article to a young Albanian girl who had taken command of an army in the battle against the Turks following her father's murder. It was Janica Martinaj, a 22-year-old whom the NY Times describes as “Zhan Dnerk Albanian”. Starting from her profile, The New Times brings in the features of Albanians, who are described as quite talented, beautiful and powerful but who cannot still grasp the idea of the state.

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A young girl whose name corresponds to the name of Orleans' daughter, is now in songs sung by Montenegrin rhapsods in Podgorica's inns and cafes. When, last week, in the battle of Vranina, her father, the leader of his tribe, fell into battle, she immediately took his place and led Martinaj to victory over the Turks. Beyond the romantic stage of the event, because Janica Martinaj (Yianza Martinay) is very beautiful, the battle is important, since it shows that Montenegrins at the border had joined Albanians.

According to a person who is familiar with her, this young Jean d'Ark has not yet turned 22 and is a young, well developed, tall and beautiful “. All Albanian women are courageous and are accustomed from their daughter-in-law with the use of firearms and in wartime, since there are no mules, they load ammunition food for their fighters and go to the line of fire for their distribution. And were they ever killed? Yeah, that happens a lot.

Janica would probably be carrying some Martinay rifles, or, since many of the Martinays have been collected last year by the Turks, her arm may have been one of the old Albanian model rifles, which are beautifully decorated with silver and have very long, narrow barrels.

Gunfight is almost the only fun of young people and young people in Albania. Both boys and girls learn to shoot when they're 12. At weddings and parties, they entertain themselves dancing and shooting; at shooting baptisms, they are again the main fun of shooting at targets for small trophys and shootings throughout the day. This is one of the big difficulties Turks must face because it is part of national life; people use their rifles by day and sleep with them at night. This custom has increased with the prevalence of uncertainty by domestic blood feuds and border problems abroad.

Physically, Albanians are the finest race in Europe. Their women are pretty, dark haired, though their eyes sometimes are gray. Seeing them walk is a pleasure. We enjoyed watching ballet in Serbia. The first time I saw the Albanian walk, she gave me the same satisfaction. Their movements are so pleasant, elegant and powerful together. Yes, they are very perfect and a very talented race.

They are like the Scottishs in the seventeenth century, and they will for a long time be the finest race in the Balkans, both intellectually and physically. If you go to Constantinople, you will see that many of the finest people, not only soldiers but also statesmen, are Albanians. Their fault, due to their current scale of civilization, is that they cannot grasp the idea of the state. The tribe is their highest organisation; they are unable to see the importance of combining the tribe with the highest organisation of making a state. But that will happen. /Prepare Albanian United