My Lord Jack Noley's exclusive statement on Serbian conflict Albanian

French newspaper, «Le Petit Parisien», published on Thursday, September 22nd 1921, on page n°3, Fan Noli's exclusive statement concerning the Serbian-Albanian conflict.

The Albanian athlete, concerned by Serbian hordes, then represented Albania in the Coven League (Geneve) in order to protect our national interests.

What did the Albanian patriot say about the French newspaper? Next you will find his full statement, brought into Albanian by Aurenc Bebja, Blog «Dars (Klos), Matt é Albania»:

Geneva «, September 21, (Dep. Petit Parisien)

My Lord Fan Noley, Albania's first delegate to the League of Nations, has filed a protest against the actions of the Serbian Army, which has invaded new Albanian regions and bombed several villages. He has told us the following statements:

Serbs, by attacking, have wanted to prevent the decision of the Conference of Ambassadors and the League of Nations. Therefore, their coup is a challenge posed to two organs that are currently committed to our case. I hardly believe that the government in Belgrade, doing so, is based on secret promises it may have received. I just think she wanted to take advantage of general indecision. However, the brutal destruction of peaceful villages will effectively remind European policy leaders of the feeling of reality.

Now, it is understandable, that the Albanian problem is something that cannot be delayed. The military objective of this offensive is to conquer Mount Loura, west of Debar. This mountain has a very strong strategic position, which controls the area of Tirana and the southern Mirdita markets. The troops, installed there, will keep the country under constant threat and can invade our capital whenever they want. Therefore, the Albanian Army cannot accept this ownership without trying to oppose it. War is inevitable if there is no interference.

Current Serbian Staff Operations Have Been Easy Because their troops, at the starting point, took over the famous demarcation line, situated in absurrection time, and that they already take the sixth part of Albania's territory by the London Conference in 1913.

The Serbs, since three months, organized armed gangs of artillery and machine guns, regularly commanded by officers operating at the army's helm in order to prepare the way for the invasion. These groups have their own meeting point on Serbian territory, Prizren, where Marka John's and Debar are located. But they were everywhere. Thus, the Serbs struck masks and now they will bring in regular troops.

I don't want to open here a debate on Albania's territorial status or on the contradictions of Serbian politics. After declaring peace, Serbia officially and several times, the validity of the 1913 border, but now it refuses to recognise it. However, nothing justifies the brutal measures it has taken. Serbs claim they are right. If they are convinced of the justice of their cause, it was only enough to wait simply for the verdict of the League of Legs, which will not now be delayed. Instead and at the very moment when the peoples aspire to peace, they use violence and do not hesitate to use weapons.

Significantly: this new aggression is repeated almost a year later by the destruction of 150 Albanian villages in the Drini Valley by Serb troops. »

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