Evening star., 1918-12-20
|TAL|AN,;JUGO-SLAV
FAITH RESTS IN i. s.
Conflicting Claimants Along
Adriatic Trust to Presi-
dents Support.
CLAIMS FOR ISTRIA URGED

Italy's reputed determination to
place her entire case at the peace con-
ference in the hands of President Will
son was he course agreed upon before
the President and Count Macchi di
Cellere, Italian ambassador, left Wash
ington for Paris.
AS stated in The Star at that time,
Italy relies upon the President and
the United States as the most friendly
toward her aspirations among the as
sociated nations, and her policy will
be to throw her whole strength to
the support of President Wilson's
program, in the hope that he will es-
pouse her claims on the eastern coast
of the Adriatic.
Prospect PIeases Slavs.
But the announcement that the
President, by this procedure. will be
left somewhat in the position of an
arbiter of the differences between
Italy and the new Jugo-Slav state
was received with equal satisfaction
by Slavic leaders here. They. too, re-
gard the United States as a disinter-
ested and friendly nation. and hold
that their plan of an Independent
state with an outlet on the Adriatic,
accordS perfectly with President Will
sons pronounce ementS concerning
self-determination of racial units and
the freedom of the seas.
Neither England nor France looks
with approval upon 1taly'S program
of virtual control of the Adriatic. Such
control also would give Italy a strong
position in respect to the entire Med
iterranean, it is held. Moreover, the
feeling of Italians against France and
England arising out of the alleged
failure of those nations to come to
her aid in time to avoid the Caparetti
disaster still is a factor in the relations
OF the European allies.
Jugo-Slavs Expect Seats.
Jugo-Slavs here state that assurance
has been received that Jugo-Slavia is
to be represented at the peace confer
enceS. There was some discussion
about the representation, some hold
ing that Serbia alone had a claim to
such representation. But the present
plan of the Jugo-Slavs is to send a
delegation consisting of four states
men, two from Serbia and two from
other portions of the new nation. all
of them to speak as representative of
= "
includes Serbia.
The delegate will be named by the
provisional government of JugoSlavla,
at Zagreb. Two non-S.rbian dee
gates, it is expected, will be DIR. An
thony Koroschetz, president of the
and DR. Anthony Trumbich, president
of the Jugo-Slav committee. The Ser
bian delegates have not yet been de-
cided upon because of the cabinet
crisis in Serbia.
Only a few weeks go it was gener-
ally believed that an agreement be-
tween Italy and JugoSlavia might be
reached by giving to the Italians
lstria, which includes Trieste, and al
lotting to Jugoslavia the greater
from 1stria, which now is included in
the Italian claims, which claims are
based upon the treaty of London.
Istria Bone of Contention.
But it has become apparent that the
Jugo-Slavs are determined to urge
their claims for Istria. the so-called
eastern peninsula. which Italy holds is
hers beyond any disputation. She
holds that her possession of this terri
tory is vital to her protection against
her historic enemy, Austria.
Moreover she points out that Trieste
is an Italian city, with some 11S. 900 ltal-
ians, and only about 10000 Jugo-Slavs
among a total population of 190,S0G.
But the Jugo-Slavs assert that Is
tria. if not Trieste. is Slavic Ac-
cording to Jugo-Slav figures Istria
has 403.566 inhabitants. of whom
223,31S are southern Slavs and 147,-
AT are Italians.
League Would Clarity.
Italy's claims on the eastern Adri-
attic coast. SO far as they are based
on her claim that she needs control
there for self-protection, may be
modified somewhat if workable
league of nations is formed. Her
premier and other leading statesmen
have placed themselves on record in
favor of a league of nations. and also
have approved the Presidents prin-
ciple of the freedom of the seas.
The Jugo-Slavs hold that the con-
troll of the Adriatic by the Italians in
itself would be a violation of the
principle of the freedom of the seas.
and they dispute the Italian idea that
control of the east Adriatic coast is
necessary for Italian protection.
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