We were anxious to visit Blato, an inland village of 8000 inhabitants.
De Michaelis regretted very much that he had no carriage, but a Yugoslav
had a quaint little car on which he was learning how to drive and he was
kind enough to take us--for which he was afterwards deported to Italy.
The good man made so much noise in changing his gears that our progress
was advertised in the uttermost fields, and very few of those who bore
down upon us came unprovided with flowers. Several of the bouquets hit
Pommerol or myself in the eye, and the Dutch say that the best cause has
need of a good pleader. But the people were so gay, waving their hats
and running after us (they did not always have to run) and shouting for
the various Allies and for President Wilson. I remember two small
round-eyed boys who were not old enough to run; they were standing hand
in hand by the side of the road, panting the magic word "Wilson! Wilson!
Wilson!" There was a sudden contrast when we jerked into the village.
People were not rushing towards us, but away from us--with furious
carabinieri behind them. We got into the garden in front of the
_gendarmerie_; one of the men was so enraged that he kept on muttering
"Bestia! Bestia! Bestia!" In the Commandant's office we met Major
Federico Verdinois, the town-major, who said that if he had only known
of our coming this wretched scuffle would not have happened. Even as he
spoke it started again; we leaned out of the window and saw two or three
persons who were being prevented by soldiers from going down the street
or from going anywhere. An officer was slashing with a riding-whip at a
soldier who was particularly rough. "One can do nothing with the
marines; they are brutal," said Major Verdinois. At last there was
peace, and the major said that an Italian deputation would come to see
us. It consisted of six individuals. The Austro-Hungarian census of 1910
said that the Blato district contained 13,147 Serbo-Croats, 3 Germans
and 6 Italians; but these six were not all in the deputation, for two of
its members had come from Hvar, one from Zadar, two were ex-Austrian
spies and one was a Yugoslav, who hoped in this way to help his people.
One gentleman deplored that he had not been told about our journey; had
he known he would have told his peasants to appear. Another gentleman
assured us that the peasants were afraid of declaring their real wishes.
Of course a country whose friends call it the most liberal in the world
could not allow such a state of things to continue, and a short time
after this the following Order was issued by the staff of the 66th
Division of Infantry:
No. 46. Confidential--Personal. VERY URGENT.
_June_ 23, 1919.
TO THE COMMANDERS AT BENKOVAC, OBROVAC,
NOVIGRAD, ERVENIK, KISTANJE, SKRADIN,
BIOGRAD, NIN, GJEVERSKE, SUKO[VS]AN AND
KARIN.