By Benito Mussolini
Unique among all the redeemed Adriatic cities, Zara has celebrated the day of its final annexation to the Motherland. The news informed us there were flags, lights, speeches, wedding bells and fireworks.
If the tragedy of Fiume had not been felt so strongly in Zara, and had not taken its toll on the city, then it is certain that the people of Zara would be offering even more vibrant manifestations of its patriotism.
Of all the Italian cities of Dalmatia, only Zara has been saved. Now the problem that the Italians and citizens of Zara face is this: how to guarantee the life and development of Zara, how to transform Zara into a strong base from which we can expand our strength into the rest of Dalmatia and beyond the Dinaric Alps. Zara's position is a difficult one. We are faced with a sea of Slavs; the Slavic hinterland begins a few kilometers from the city. If the Yugoslav negotiators of Rapallo granted us Zara, it is only because — as Stojanović has explicitly confessed — it is because they believed and still do believe that Italian Zara can not survive on its own and will eventually have to be annexed into the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Now we on the other hand, while not denying potential and inevitable difficulties, we believe that Zara can survive and fulfill its great historical task. When speaking of the future Italianity of Dalmatia we must not forget that the Italy of today is no longer the Italy that had its borders at the Isonzo, but instead is an Italy who has brought its borders to Monte Nevoso and has liberated Fiume. Italy is close to Zara. Good spiritual and economic blood can be continuously re-pumped back into this great Dalmatian city.
In our opinion, Zara's economic life is linked to land and maritime communications. In further negotiations we must avoid that behind Zara lurks a sort of Chinese or Yugoslav wall; must establish very rapid and swift maritime communications between Zara and Ancona, Zara and Trieste and other parts of the Eastern Adriatic. Navigators, especially from Trieste, must perform their duty, which is to increase Zara's maritime fortunes and make its port an emporium of Italian goods for Dalmatia.
Other local initiatives, which must ensure the economic future of Zara, are being considered and we hope that they will produce fruitful results. From the economic order to the spiritual order, Zara must represent the living torch of two thousand years of Italian civilization for all of Dalmatia and the Slavic world. There are secondary schools in Zara, but not nearly enough. We would like the liberated nation to endow the small city with a grand "Adriatic University", both classical and modern. The traditional faculties of literature, philosophy, law, medicine, etc., should be supplemented by a sort of Italian-Slavic seminar, which should function as a crossing point, by agreement of the two races and two civilizations. The scientific faculties should be superbly equipped so as to entice Slavic students and Balkan students in general to leave the German universities. An initiative of this type requires many millions in money, but the results would compensate all efforts.
We dream of — and we have for a long time! — an "Adriatic University" at Zara. The influence of this university on Italian Dalmatia and Slavic Dalmatia would be, in a word, enormous, and would prepare the spiritual conquest of these territories which is far less bloody and much longer lasting than any military conquest.
Italy, especially maritime Italy, commercial Italy and industrial Italy, must do everything it possibly can to guarantee the economic future of Zara. The "Adriatic University" would take care of the rest in the spiritual field.
We feel that Italian Zara will overcome all obstacles and will fulfill its mission of representing Italy and of constituting a base of tremendous support for the defense of Dalmatian Italianity. The Italians of Sebenico, Curzola, Traù, Spalato and Ragusa will see how the Italian flag waves in the liberated winds of Zara and — despite the Treaty of Rapallo, which is certainly not the final say on the matter — their hopes will will be revived and their faith will be restored.
Long live Zara! Long live Italian Dalmatia!
