but an issue of much wider import—­namely, what frontiers accorded to the embryonic state of Jugoslavia would be most conducive to the world’s peace.  And nobody, they held, could offer a more complete or trustworthy answer than they and their European colleagues, who were conversant with all the elements of the problem.  Besides—­but this objection was not expressly formulated—­had not Mr. Wilson already decided against Italy?  On these and other grounds, then, they decided to leave the matter to the Conference.  It was a delicate subject, and few onlookers cared to open their minds on its merits.

Albania was represented by an old friend of mine, the venerable Turkhan Pasha, who had been in diplomacy ever since the Congress of Berlin in the ’seventies of last century, and who looked like a modernized Nestor.  I made his acquaintance many years ago, when he was Ambassador of Turkey in St. Petersburg.  He was then a favorite everywhere in the Russian capital as a conscientious Ambassador, a charming talker, and a professional peace-maker, who wished well to everybody.  The Young Turks having recalled him from St. Petersburg, he soon afterward became Grand Vizier to the Mbret of Albania.  Far resonant events removed the Mbret from the throne, Turkhan Pasha from the Vizierate, and Albania from the society of nations, and I next found my friend in Switzerland ill in health, eating the bitter bread of exile, temporarily isolated from the world of politics and waiting for something to turn up.  A few years more gave the Allies an unexpectedly complete victory and brought back Turkhan Pasha to the outskirts of diplomacy and politics.  He suddenly made his appearance at the Paris Conference as the representative of Albania and the friend of Italy.

Another Albanian friend of mine, Essad Pasha, whose plans for the regeneration of his country differed widely from those of Turkhan, was for a long while detained in Saloniki.  By dint of solicitations and protests, he at last obtained permission to repair to Paris and lay his views before the Conference, where he had a curious interview with Mr. Wilson.  The President, having received from Albanians in the United States many unsolicited judgments on the character and antecedents of Essad Pasha, had little faith in his fitness to introduce and popularize democratic institutions in Albania.  And he unburdened himself of these doubts to friends, who diffused the news.  The Pasha asked for an audience, and by dint of patience and perseverance his prayer was heard.  Five minutes before the appointed hour he was at the President’s house, accompanied by his interpreter, a young Albanian named Stavro, who converses freely in French, Greek, and Turkish, besides his native language.  But while in the antechamber Essad, remembering that the American President speaks nothing but pure English, suggested that Stavro should drive over to the Hotel Crillon for an interpreter to translate from French.  Thereupon one of the secretaries stopped him, saying: