A correspondent of The Times gives a highly interesting survey of conditions in Albania under King Zog, the young monarch who has just celebrated the second anniversary of his accession to the throne. Albania before the War was a comic opera kingdom, administered chiefly by a young British officer from Tipperary, whose methods, while often effective, rarely were orthodox. That young man would be surprised if he should visit Tirana to-day.
Under the benevolent rule of King Zog the country has been transformed. Primary education is compulsory. Roads are being built throughout the country, and an efficient army has been created under Italian auspices.
The land problem is being solved in a novel manner. Every landlord in Albania is allowed to retain forty hectares of land, which cannot be touched by the State. Of the remainder of his holding one-third is expropriated at a price of twenty gold francs an acre; but the landlord is allowed to retain the other two-thirds on condition that he shares the expense of irrigation, cultivation and development with the tenants. This system, which is a mixture of communism and feudalism, is said to work admirably.
The Irish Times, September 4th, 1930.