Carl Darling Buck

“ Questions of nationality are the most difficult issues to be settled at the end of the war. The European nationalities are, with certain well-known exceptions, as the Belgian, Swiss, and Irish, virtually linguistic groups, and especially in eastern and southeastern Europe, where lie most of the outstanding problems, language is the only tangible and available criterion of nationality. ”

“ In matters touching the character, history, and relationship of languages, there are not a few remarks which savor of uncritical popular philology, some merely naïve in expression, some positively erroneous. ”

“ Despite religious differences, tribal feuds, and backward social conditions, the Albanians are fully conscious that they are not Slavs, Turks, or Greeks, but a distinct nationality. The sentiment is not less there because it has not overcome the obstacles to effectiveness. ”