Evening star., 1919-04-24
GRAVE DIPLOMATIC
ERROR IS CHARGED
italians Claim Agreement
Was Near When Wilson
Appeal Came Out.
SAY THEY ARE STUPEFIED

PARIS. April "a (by the Associ-
ated Press)-It was stated In high
American quarters today that
President Wilson several days ago
Informed Premier Orlando of the
contents Of the statement which
the President issued yesterday.
Premier Orlando then consulted
with Col. House and discussed with
him the question of the issuance
of a counter statement by the
italian premier.
This statement was made to show
that the Italian delegates were not
quite A. surprised over the issu-
ance Of the President's statement
M they protested to be.
BY PAUL SCOTT MOWRER.
Cables7am to The Evening Star and
Chicago Daily News. Copyright, 1919.
PARIS, April 24.-The Italians
charge that in issuing his appeal to
the Italian people President Wilson
made one Of the gravest errors in dip
lomatic etiquette in the history Of di-
plomacy-an error which they still
find inexpiicable. They declare fatty
that at $3.50 o'clock yesterday after
Clemenceau and Lloyd George and
Mr.. Wilson a proposal which gave
them satisfaction on the Dalmatian
coast, and proposed to make Fiume a
free city, under neither. the Italians
nor JugoslavS.
They declare that they had already
dispatched an ambassador to state
that they accepted the Dalmatian set
tlement and agreed that Fiume should
be a free city, but still felt that this
free city should be under an Italian
administration, when they were thun-
derstruck to read in an issue Of the
Wilson's appeal. This was the first
the Italian delegates had
Of this appeal.
On Verge Of Agreement.
On the very verge of an agreement,
say the Italians. Mr.. Wilson issued a
which. in refusing them
the Dalmatian coast and indicating
that Fiume should belong to the Jugo-
slavs, contradicted the offer Mr.. Will
son himself had made q few minutes
before. They profess that they are
still stupefied and utterly unable to
the meaning Of these
events.
Up to an early hour this morning I
have been unable to obtain tho Amer
ican version OF this very important
with or without reason the italian
delegates mean to make use Of It to
throw the responsibility for the rup-
ture on Mr.. Wilson himaelf Instead of
letting 1t rest upon them selves. + is
difficult to- believe, thlt fhaY w6u1d
some n hsss
story. Students in the future will
want to know exactly
what paused between the italian and
the allied delegates between tho hours
Of and 4 o'clock on the historic
afternoon Of April %.
Italians here are unanimous in say
Ing that Mr.. Wilson's move will abb
unity Italy against the allies
Anti-American Feeling.
1t is rumored that the anti-Amer-
lean feeling in Italy il already SO bit
ter that the Young Mems Christian
and the American Red
Cross have been advised to leave. It
ls Mr.. Wilson himself whom the Ital-
lans blame for this grave situation,
the outcome Of which. as every ono
agrees. nobody can foresee. For.
while Mr.. Wilson's statement is said
to have been approved by Premiers
LlOyo 0SVIBo anu ClemSnceau Oe1Oro
It was made public. these two have not
signed it and will therefore largely
escape the resentment of the Italians.
Our American delegates apparently
believed that the Italians were bluff
ing, because they have several times
to withdraw, yet stayed
on. This time apparently there il no
return. The bridges are burned.
The Italians say that only in case
Mr.. Wilson himself loft the confer
ence could they consent to resume the
negotiations, and even then they
would desire an assurance from the
American people that Mr.. Wilson did
not represent the American point of
view.
See Open Hostility.
am given to understand that the
Italian Newspaper correspondents
have been advised to write nothing
which would be offensive to the
American people and to draw that
between Mr.. Wilson and
the American people, which. the 1tal-
ian delegates feel sure, exists. Some
of the more hot-tempered Italians
consider Mr.. Wilson's appeal tanta-
to . declaration Of open hos
tility. not only against the italian
but to Italy itself.
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