I have the honor to add that copies of the enclosed documents have been
forwarded to the American Embassy at Paris.
[Subenclosure—Translation]
Protest of the National Council of Zagreb,
Representing All the Servians, Croatians and Slovenes in the
Former Monarchy of Austria-Hungary
In accordance with the armistice concluded between the Allied Powers
and the United States on one side, and the former Austro-Hungarian
Monarchy on the other, the conditions of which were drawn up at the
Versailles Conference, a zone which is to be occupied by the troops
of the Allied Powers and the United States has been established at
the Western frontier of the former Dual Monarchy. In the same way it
was decided that this occupation must not in any way prejudice the
final determining of this frontier.
These arrangements, drawn up at a time when it was not known that a
national power of the allied Serbo-Croat-Slovene people had been
established in the interested territories, were in themselves
unfavorable to any satisfactory solution of the questions concerning
this part of Europe. The frontiers fixed for the zone of occupation
agree, unfortunately, with those laid down at London the 25th [26th] April 1915. This London agreement was
concluded without the knowledge of and against the will of our
people, at a time when the principle of the right to
self-determination had not been officially recognized by the allied
powers as one of the principles of the international law of
civilized peoples. That aroused a justified restlessness among the
population interested as well as among the whole Servian, Croatian
and Slovene peoples, because the London agreement had paid no
attention whatever to our indubitable rights.
It is feared that upon the occasion of the definite solving of the
question of the Western frontier considerations opposed to the right
to self-determination of the peoples will prevail in spite of the
clause in the armistice to the effect that the present occupation
must in no way influence the determining of the definitive
frontiers.
The manner of carrying out the abovementioned conditions of the
armistice threatens to emphasize this impression. According to the
news that penetrates into these territories it appears that the
announced occupation will not be achieved by the Allied troops, as
there was every reason for expecting, but by Italian troops only.
Although, as a result of the transfer of all actual power to the
Council of Zagreb, which, by the way, also has at its disposition
all the military and civil forces of the countries in question, all
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strategic need of
occupation has ceased to exist, the occupation is nevertheless being
put into effect in its entirety and occupation of territories
outside of the indicated zone has even commenced. For example,
Fiume, although already occupied by the troops of the National
Council of Zagreb, has been occupied without any military
justification.
In the occupied districts only Italian flags are being run up,
instead of the flags of all the Allies. The military authorities are
addressing proclamations to the population foretelling the
definitive annexation of these territories to Italy. Finally, in
direct opposition to the express stipulation of the armistice that
local authorities shall not be disturbed and that the military
command alone shall have the right of control over their activities,
civil governors and local authorities are being named.
Procedures of this sort are transforming the restlessness of the
interested populations and the Servian, Croatian and Slovene
peoples, into justified discontent. The Serbo-Croat-Slovene people,
having by its persevering struggle against the Central Powers (as
well as in Austria-Hungary) contributed noticeably to the common
cause, now finds itself being treated as though it were a vanquished
enemy instead of an allied people. Being possessed of an absolute
faith in the loyalty and spirit of justice of the Allied Powers, the
Serbo-Croat-Slovene people cannot believe that the justified
indignation of the civilized world against the Prussian “scrap of
paper” theory has to do with written treaties only. With an
admirable confidence in the various declarations concerning the
right of the peoples to self-determination and Liberty, this people
engaged unreservedly in the great struggle and endured the heaviest
sacrifices. It cannot tranquilly submit to the rejuvenation of old
theories about “pawns and pledges” and their application against
itself, nor can it submit to the manifestation of tendencies toward
conquest.
The National Council of Zagreb, representing the whole
Serbo-Croat-Slovene people, calls the attention of the Allied Powers
and the United States to the danger of the situation which is being
created by procedures of this description. By raising its voice most
energetically in protest against injury to recognized rights, it
demands that with the least delay measures be taken to prevent the
consequences which are likely to result therefrom. The
representatives of the Serbo-Croat-Slovene people decline in
advance, before the tribunal of the civilized world, to shoulder any
of the responsibility for these consequences.
Geneva, November 9,
1918.
