Evening star., 1919-10-05
SEIZUREOF FIUME SEEN
. AS TREATY DEFIANCE
Mr.. Simonds Believes Versailles Document
Dead Letter as Affecting Nationalistic
Aspirations of Various Countries.

was only little less dangerous. How
could one starve the Italians and the
inhabitants of Fiume, while the
Italian navy dominated the Adriatic
and the Italian army and navy openly
celebrated the recent coup? AS in the
case of Rumania, the weapons; direct
and indirect turned out to be un-
available under the circumstances
Italy stayed at Fiume as Rumania
had tarried at Budapest and, in the
delay. the opposition in European
capitals grew steadily less. This is
a personal matter between the Pres
ident of the United States and the
Italian people; why should we inter-
fere?
This was the temper discoverable in
France, within limits in Great Britain
Now, it seems perfectly clear that
Italy will keep Fiume; she has it, the
whole nation is resolved upon retain
ing it, and there is no one of the ma
tions represented at Paris. no concert
of nations. ready to begin brand
new war in order to expel Italy from
an Italian town, albeit the town
southern Slavs. There was no one
ready to take up arms to drive the
Rumanians out of Bessarabia, there
will be no one to drive the Rumanlans
out Of the Banat. If they make good
their threats and take the Torontal,
dllOIl0o u OSTDld dI dTlS.
Who Will Discipline Greece.
Again, will there be any one to dis
cipline Greece if she proceeds to oc-
cupy that portion of Thrace Whlcn
the Paris conference cannot make up
it's mind to give to her. although 1t
has subtracted 1t from Bulgaria? AT
the very least l should not be sur
prised to see the Greeks try out the
matter before many days. why
shouldn't they? Their claim to this
portion of Thrace is several thousand
years old and stands the rigorous test
of the fourteen points quite as well as
Fiume.
But the case of Greece is relatively
minor. The world will possibly worry
along with Hellenic troops in Dedea-
catch. as the world endured the tenn
porary stay of Bulgarian troops in the
same region. AS far as France and
Great Britain are concerned, they Will
welcome such solution, for the
United States is the only quarter in
which the Bulgar has any friends. and
President Wilson is the sole opponent
to the Paris proposal to give all of
Thrace to the Greeks. What is really
important now, is the effect OF the
Fiume episode upon the other parts of
Europe.
Let US take. for example, the case
of the Sarre valley. The French |
have it. They own or will own every |
coal mine: they are authorized to e1-
tend their customs lines to include !
this territory. Fifteen years in the |
future they will have to submit to a |
plebiscite to decide whether the ter |
ritory shall go back to Germany or |
remain French. But this condition |
was imposed solely because the Presi- |
dent of the United States set his face |
against an out-and-out annexation, as |
But since Italy and Rumania are not |
permitting President Wilson's views !
to prevent them from acquiring terri |
tory on which they have a claim, not J
more justifiable, one would say, than !
the French claim to the Sarre. why |
should France permit herself to be re-
strained?
Proposed French Treaty.
Further than this, Mr.. Wilson, for
the United States. pledged. SO far as
ance to protect France against a Ger
man attack in the future. Only by |.
this pledge did Mr.. Wilson persuade
Clemenceau to abandon the claims
occupation of the left bank
Of the Rhine. Now, il the treaty of
particularly in the parts
regarded as vital to protect French
interests. is amended in the Senate
above all. IL the United States Senate
refused to ratify the treaty insuring
France against German attack-what
is more certain than that France,
which has not yet ratified the treaty
herself. will, with equal promptness
add amendments of her own?
We are then. passing rapidly out
of the zone. momentarily created by
the league of nations circumstances
at Paris. The Italians. the Ruma-
defied the whole Paris conference.
The Rumanians and the Italians have
proceeded to the occupation of terri
tory expressly forbidden them by the
Paris conference and in open defiance
of league of nations principles. At
any moment we may find that the
Clemenceau government will fall and |
be succeeded, not as certain mis-
guided liberals" in the United States
think, by a radical ministry, but by a |!
reactionary one-reactionary in the |
sense that it will repudiate the whole
treaty as framed at Versailles and
proceed to use the power now in
French hands to safeguard the French
future.
The fact is, Of course. that the Ger
mans could not now defend them
selves against the French II the |
French chose to send armies to Ber-
lin. they could go with the approx !
mate ease with which the Rumanian |
armies reached Budapest.
Moreover, the recent murder of
French soldiers in the Sarre basin, !
the refusal Of the Germans to retire |
from the Baltic province, their out |
rageous hebahior in Upper Silesia-l
all these supply admirable justifca- |
tions for such French course.
Once such step was taken then
there would be an obvious end Of the |
treaty Of Versailles. The statesmen |
who carried through such a program !
would not hesitate to take such safe |
guards for the future as have not |
been taken by the Clemenceau gov
ernment solely because 1t relied upon
President Wilson's assurance that he |
would be able to procure the ratifica-
ton, both Of the treaty Of Versailles
and the treaty of alliance. France
would then enter into permanent oc-
mex the Sarre basin. In doing this she |
would go no further than has italy or
Rumania and she might be assured
the support of both Latin powers as
q consequence.
This possible French procedure
would be described as imperialistic by
certain fraction of American and
British sentiment. which does not
sympathize with France in any event
and regards with utmost disapproval
French apprehension of a new Ger
man attack. But most reasonable
Englishmen and Americans will see in
French effort to achieve security
against German aggression a natural
and inevitable national instinct. Above
all neither Americans nor Britons will
be prepared to make war upon France,
which Is the essential fact
France Waiting on q. s.
In my judgment future French ac-
he