The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-05-03
SITUATION
AT COUNCIL
is TEST OF
U. s. IDEALS
Developments Show Collision
Between American and Eur
opean Viewpoint, Says SIM
onds
EFFECT ON LEAGUE
BY FRANK II. SIMoNDS.
Copyright. 1919. By the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.)

Newspaper Syndicate.)
PARIS, May Notwithstanding
the obvious gravity of the situation
1t produced, the Italian incident was
welcomed on many sides in Paris with
the general comment that 1t cleared
the atmosphere. 1t induced sEua-
ton which must lead to Settlement
one way or another, on many Ques-
tions. 1t involved. more than any
other thing that has yet come up, the
test Of the whole American position at
the Peace conference. It should be
added. too, before passing to the ex-
animation Of the issues that the stand
Of the president was recognized by all
Americans and many Europeans alike
as a championship, and a powerful
championship Of the rights of the
small people, and 1t had the approval
OF those who believed that one OF the
great purposes of the peace confer
ence Is to recognize the rights OF
these little peoples, even when they
conflict with the ambitions of the
great nations.
In nothing that he has done since
he came to Europe has the president
more square1y lined up with what
Americans conceive to be American
ideals than in this particular incident.
In the present article, desire to dis
cuss two things: First. the facts that
underlie this particular collision; and,
second, the manner in which this col
lision is illustrative of the collision be-
tween European and American ideals,
which has marked the whole confer
ence.
Age Long Aspiration.
l. hk~ kInT Ttaft Ia TH0 q nj
the president grows out Of two wholly
dissimilar sets of circumstances, the
peculiar domestic situation In italy
itself, and the age-long aspirations of
the Italian people to revive the glories
of Rome and the conQuests of Venice
on the eastern shores Of the Adriatic.
The territories Immediately affected
are the city of Ffume, relatively
small town with hardly more than
25, 900 people, wholly Italian in race
and language, but the chief port Of the
whole northern half of the new Jugo-
Slavic state, and only tiny point in
the surrounding sea of slavic popula.
tions. To give Portsmouth, N. II. or
Portland, Maine, to foreign country
because the population within the i'm
mediate city limits of either Of these
towns belonged to foreign national
ity, while the hinterland was. as 1t Is,
American. would supply fair illustra-
ton. More than this, in the case of
Fiume, it is the sea gate and the sole
sea gate served by adequate railroads
In the whole Of Jugo-Slavia.
AS to Dalmatia, the whole popula-
ton of this province passes $4,000, of
which not more than 10000 at the
most are Italians. This Italian popu-
lation is confined to two or three
towns, like Zara, Sebenico and Apala-
to, and they are but little enclaves in
a mass of Serb or Croat population,
all of which desires not to be Italian,
hut Jugo-Slavic. On the basis of self
determination. Italy has no claim
whatever to Dalmatia, and on the
basis of the right of nations to free
access to the sea, the second OF Mr..
Wilson's principles the JugoSlavs
have a claim to Fiume.
Wants Pledge Fulfilled
Now, the Italian claim to Dalmatia
that is, to the northern half of Dal-
malta, which is alone in question, to-
gether with the Islands-rests upon
the agreement made between Italy
and England and France at the NOM
ent when she entered the war. As the
price of her participation, England and
France agreed that Italy should have
In addition to the Trentino and Trieste
about half of Dalmatia, including most
of the Islands. At the same time, FL
ume was expressly reserved as the
port of Austria Hungary, whose dis
solution was not then foreseen. Italy
now demands that her allies shall full
fill their pledge, and they have at all
times been ready to agree that Italy
should now occupy Dalmatia and an.
mex 1t. But they have insisted that
il Italy annexed Dalmatia, Fiume
should go to the Jugo-Slavs.
President Wilson, on his part, since
the United States was not bound by
any such agreement as that to which
England and France subscribed, in
sisted that in accordance with his de
mand for the self determination OF
peoples, Dalmatia should go to Jugo
Slavia. He has at the same time in
sisted that Fiume should be elected
into some sort of free port, and with
a guarantee of the League of Nations
thus permit the Slavs to have access
to the sea in a manner analogous to
the rights assured to the Poles
through DanZig The Italians, on
their side, have based their claim tc
Fiume on the question of self deter
mination in a very narrow area OF the
town itself, which is Latin.
Holds orIando's Future
It is not true, as the Italians allege
that President Wilson brusquely az
pealed over the heads of the Italian
delegation to the Italian people. The
fact is that after many weeks OF dis
cussion il had become perfectly ap
parent that no accommodation of diff
ference of opinion was possible, shor'
of the absolute sacrifice of the SlaE
rights to Italian claims. This was q
< fact because of the peculiar domestic
situation in Italy itself. This situa
ton dates back to the entrance OF
Italy into the war. Italian participa
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