The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-30
PRESIDENTS STATEMENT
 By Assoeiated Press

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 Paris, April 29-A statement was is- sued tonight dealing with the memoran- dunn sent by President Wilson to the Ital. l ian delegation on April IA with permis- sion to make it public in Italy and which was given out today in Rome.
 1 complete copy of the Presidents statement, under the heading "memoran- I claims on the Adriatic," follows: I There is no question to which I have | given more careful anxious thought than I have given to this. because in | common with all my colleagues it is my earnest desire to see the utmost justice done to Italy.
 Throughout my consideration of it,
 however, I have felt that there was one matter in which I had no choice and could wish to have none. I felt bound to square every conclusion that should reach as accurately as possible with the fourteen principles of peace which I set forth in my address to the congress of the United States on the eighth of Jan uary. 191S and in subsequent addresses. '"These fourteen points and the princi- pies laid down in the subsequent ad- dresses were formally added with only a single reservation by the powers as- sociated against Germany, and will con- stitute the basis of peace with Germany. do not feel at liberty to suggest one ] basis for peace with Germany and an- | other for peace with Austria. 'It will be remembered that in reply to communication from the Austrian government offering to enter into nego- tia tions for an armistice and peace on the basis of the fourteen points to which I have alluded I said that there was one matter to which those points no longer applied. They had demanded autonomy for the several states which had con- stituted parts of the Austro-H Hungarian. empire and I pointed out that it must now be left to the choice of the people of these several countries what their destinies and political relations should be.
 CHOSE INDEPENDENCE They have chosen with the symreeh. of the whole world to be set up as inde- pendent states. Their complete separa- tion from Austria and the complete dis solution of the Austro-Hungarian em- pire has given a new aspect and signif- canoe to the settlement which may be effected with regard at any rate to the eastern boundaries of Italy
 Personally I am quite willing that Italy should be accorded along the whole front of her northern frontier and wherever she comes into contact with Austrian territory all that was &C.,
 
 London, but I am of the clear opinion that the pact of London can no longer apply to the settlement of her east ern boundaries.
 The line drawn in the pact of Lon-. Ion, conceived for the purpose of es- tablishing an absolutely adequate from tier of safety for Italy against any possible hostility or aggression on the part of Austria. But Austria Hun gary no longer exists. These eastern frontier4 will touch countries stripped Of the military and naval power of Austria settled in interdependence of Austria and organized for the purpose of satisfying legitimate national as- pirations and created states not hostile to the new European order but ar.s- ing out of it, interested in it's maintain ance. dependent upon the cultivation or friendships and bound to common policy of peace and accommodation by the covenant of the league of nations.
 ADHERES TO AGREEMENT
 Tt is with these facts in mind that have approached the Adriatic ques- ton. 1t is commonly agreed and very heartily adhere to the agreement that the ports of Triest and Pola. and with them the greater part of the Istr;an peninsula should be ceded to Italy. ner eastern frontier running along the nat ural strategic line established by the physical conformation of the country. line which it has been attempted to draw with some degree of accuracy on the attached map.
 Within this line on the Italian side will lie considerable bodies of non Italian populations. but their fortunes are so naturally linked by the nature of the country itself with the rest ot the Italian people that I think their inclusion is fairly justified.
 There would be no Justification in my Judgment in including Plume or any part of the coast line to the south of Plume, within the boundaries os the Italian kingdom. Plume is by sif- uatlon and by the circumstances of its oeevelopment not an Italian. but an international port serving the conn tries to the east and north of the Cuff
 Just because it is an International port and cannot with justice be sub ordinated to any one sovereignty 1t is my clear Judgment that It should enjoy very considerable degree of N