_Before leaving Durazzo, the Prince of Wied addressed the following
proclamation to the Albanian people:_
Albanians, when your delegates came to offer me the crown of Albania,
I answered with confidence to the appeal of this noble and chivalrous
people who were asking me to aid them in the work of their national
regeneration. I came to you animated by the most ardent desire to help
you in this patriotic task.
You have seen me, from the beginning, devoting all my efforts for the
reorganization of the country, and desirous of giving you a good
administration and justice for all. But ill-omened events occurred to
destroy our common labors. In fact, certain souls, blinded by passion,
have misunderstood the scope of our reforms and have not given credit
to a Government just born. On the other hand, the war which broke out
in Europe has all the more complicated our position.
I therefore thought that, in order not to leave unfinished the work to
which I wish to consecrate my forces and my life, I must just for a
little while go to the Occident.
But know that, from afar as from near, I will have but one thought--to
work for the prosperity of our noble and chivalrous Albanian
fatherland. During my absence the International Commission of Control,
deriving its powers from Europe, which created our country, will
assume the Government.