PRINCE GUSTAVE PIKRAN

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10678, 26 July 1912, Page 5

PRINCE GUSTAVE PIKRAN

CALLED TO HIS NATIVE LAND. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) PAHJATUA, Last Night. Prince Gustave Pikran, the exiled Prince of Albania,, who is at present on a visit to Pahiatua, has received a call to return to lead the Albanian revolution-. Whether the Prince will immediate!] y respond to the caill of his people, however, is a moot ques-' tiou. When -interviewed by a Pahia- i tin Herald (representative to-day, His Highness -stated that a petition had just arrived by the 'ast anail from Europe, and lie had not had time to consider it. The position was that hav!ing ibden exiled from his own Coventry, and having been refused refuge in America, he had come to New Zealand wtith the intention of residing here for two years to become a British fiu-bje-cifc, and then to return to his own land as a medical mi'ssilonairy. The receipt of the letter had rather upset his plans, lalnd he would not arrive at a definite decision until he' reached -Wellington, on his way South on Monday. The 'letter, -which is written by Isaac Bidilak, leader of the revKJlutionfelry movement iuNorth Albania, reads ais follows: "Astura, May 2nd, 1912. j "To His Highness, Gustave, the Emir of Albania.

"In God 1 and His Son we trust and in His iXame we fight the Turks for our liberty. All cljiele agree to send •tikis message to your H&gknee-& asking you <to como acid lead us 1 and out countirymaii in our light for freedom, as we have received a large number cif rifles a rem Italy, and there are many military officers to direct ns tthlis sumincir. Tsie Macedonians are wi|th us in revolt. The number of volunteers is over 60,000; but, if you come the number will be four .times more. The policy of the Young l Turks, as you know, are still' selfishness for their race. A great change in the Tudci'ih Government is coming in the future, and I wouldn't be 'surprised if each of the States revolts for { independence. Many secret things j come to us through European* and Christian Govomanents, but I would I •not write them here, as I am afraid I they will get fiirito the enctay'fc hands. j ''l am, your servant for the freedom of the country. I "ISAAC BULLAE."

His Hig'ime&s, in commenting upon the letter, Avliich he handed to a pressman for publication-, stated that he had more influence in Albania than any of the present revolutionary •chiefs, and he was confident that if hie returned he would have no difficulty in raising 200,000 mew under arms. iW'hen his attention was called to a cable announcing that the Porte had ordered a ewspension ef hostilities in> Albania, and that measures for pacification! had been "initiated, he did not express -any great dojlighfc. There were, he indicated, trouib'eso-me times in «tore for his native country for some confeidorablo tome to come. The position was that Turkey was diviided up into so .many provinces, mostly of different nationalities. Albania was one of these provinces. 'Under the old Turkish regime Albania enjoyed distinet Government, but under the new order of things an endeavour hod been' ■made to wrest this from them, and to make them Turks. It wa-s against this that they had rebelled. They would not aim at independence if the Turkfeh Goved'iimient would treat I thorn fairly, hut on, the other hand' lie did not thank that Albania could gam her independence unl'elss some European Christian Power helped her. Asked as to what wis* likely to he the future of Turkey, Prince Gustave stated that .what kept Turkey together was .simpTy the faqt that the European Powers had not decided to divide her. Tn his opinion. Turkey would sooner or later be divided up into independent States.