The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-02
ditional right to dictate how the
small nations must treat their
subjects.

ditional right to dictate how the
small nations must treat their
Y subjects.
Feeling Not wholly Ailaycd.
The President used the softest pos
sible language in laying down these
conditions. which was in sharp con-
trast to the brisk exchange Of hos
tilities between Premier Clemenceau
and Premier Bratiano. But despite
the conciliatory character of the Will
son speech 1t is held by some here
that it has not allayed the feeling
aroused. although the little Powers
confess that they are helpless, at
least for the present.
All appeared to hold the same idea,
as voiced by their various spokesman.
They always have enjoyed complete
sovereignty in the past, and as SOW
ereign States they had fought the
war; Were they to be robbed in peace
of the sovereignty which they had
Just freed from the German menace?
They would be willing, they said, to
establish religious and racial freedom,
but they we're not willing to surrender
their sovereign right to handle these
matters themselves and to submit to
the dictation of others Powers which
happened to be bigger.
While the Council of Four has
agreed to consider this question to-
morrow, there is no doubt that the
principle proclaimed yesterday will
be carried out not only now but by
the council of the league, If 1t should
he created on the basis Of the present
covenant.
California Problem Cited.
The President considers this policy
justified completely by experience !:
also he takes great satisfaction in that
he has succeeded in proclaiming the
same principle of religious and racial
freedom which he tried to get incor-
porated into the covenant of the
league, but was-defeated then.
The question now asked in all con,
ference circles is: Are the big Powers
going to enforce this principle upon
the little nations and not upon them
selves? The Rumanians, Serbs and
others already are asking If Great
Britain will apply 1t to her dominions,
and can Japan now insist that the
United States apply it in California;
Complaints that the Council of Four
is settling such questions in President
Wilson's drawing room accentuated
the bitterness of yesterdays protest
over those specific parts of the Aus
trian treaty. The Rumanian delegates
pointed out that they had just twelve
hours to study the treaty, which af-
fected vitality their interests yet was
framed in secret by the Council OF
Four.
Complaint of the Serbians.
The result was a flood of amend.
Saturday session which fairly
swamped the Council of Four. The
Scrbians, among others, complained
bitterly in regard to their northern
frontier, and all protested against thu
financial clauses, which were with
drawn in consequence, the result be
ing that it will be mere shadow OF
the treaty that the Austrians will gel
tomorrow. The upshot of this and
other recent developments is that the
conference now is in the jam which
was predicted week ago in these
dispatches.
Informal discussions by the dele
cations of the principal Powers have
developed two schools of thought. One
takes the view that the treaty Will
Germany is not oppressive. but II Il
were the present is no time to change
It. The other holds that the treaty
could we'll be modified to meet some
of the German suggestions. French
officials insist that they have had as
surances the treaty will not BIZ
changed, the Council of Four standing
on its note of May 10, in which 1t de
clnred that there would he no discus
sion Of fundamentals, which the Ger
mans, it is pointed out. ignored il
submitting their counter proposals.
TREATY TO AUSTRIA TO-DAY.