Evening star., 1919-10-05
BIZ FRANK H. s1MoNDs.

brilliant page in Italian his
tory nlled with the story of the ad-
venture of Garibaldi and his thou
almost sixty years ago. on that ex-
pedition which gave Italy her FIRST
real foretaste of unity.
The circumstances are hardly dis
similar. Before Garibaldi set out. the
king and the great architect of Ital-
ian unity, Cavour. knew of the plan
The attack upon a friendly state, the
kingdom of Naples. itself under the
protection of the European concert,
at least theoretically, has a strong
resemblance to the present attack
upon Jugoslavia. Moreover, as Eng
land looked with undisguised satis-
faction at the gallant elimination of
so long and brave an effort on the
part of the Italians to obtain unity,
not few Frenchmen, probably a GER
tain number Of Britons. regard the
new incident with approval
Says Treaty Is Partly Dead.
The truth of the matter must now
begin to appear to the American peo-
pie. as it has long been clear in Eu-
rope. In SO far as the treaty of YER
sailles has done violence to the ma
tionalistic aspirations of the various
nations united against Germany. it
has become dead letter, less than
six months after it was signed and
before it has been ratified either by
Franco the limited States
A few weeks ago Rumanians dem
onstrated by their march to Buda-
pest. their supreme contempt for the
mandates Of the Paris conference. Not
only did they go to Budapest against
orders, but they have remained there
ever since. At the same time they
have continued to hold the territory
occupied by their soldiers but for
hidden them by the conference OF
Paris. notably in the case of Bessa-
rabia, province three times as Dig
rs Alsace-Lorraine.
The Rumanian episode. as I pointed
out at the time. was manifestly only
q beginning. Rumania- in going to
Budapest was really making the
test case for Italy and for all the
other nations which regarded the
Paris conference and its decisions
matter Of life or death for the Paris
conference to bring Rumania to terms.
because, il Rumania were able to
fiout it, to deny its authority and
proceed on her own way, then there
would be no obstacle in the pathway
of other nations.
But, apart from notes. warnings,
threats of economic pressure. which
seem hardly to have been made good,
the conference of Paris could do moth
ing. French sentiment would not
permit the employment of French
troops against the Rumanians; Italy
undeniably advised Rumania to make
the test; as for Britain and the United
States, neither country was in mood
to make war in the Balkans. and
least 100000 veteran troops in the
field, with an equally large trained
reserve.
Paris. therefore. having told the
Rumanians not to go to. Budapest.
and then, when they disobeyed. to get
into painful silence. rather ridicu-
1ously broken by protests against q
Rumanian evacuation of Budapest.
which might be followed by return
of bolshevism. So far as the Ru-
manians were concerned. they got
pleased and no one has yet found a
way to punish them or to deprive
them Of territory actually in their
possession but not awarded them by
the Paris conference.
Got Cue From Rumania.
Logically enough. Italy read in the
Rumanian episode, in which she GER
tainly played at least a friendly part,
the real solution of her own difficult
ties. Her troops occupied Fiume and
certain Dalmatian ports claimed by
the Italians. as well. But there were
allied troops there also. After many
months. following Mr.. Wilson's IA
nous Paris appeal to the Italian peo-
ian nation. the radicals quite as unani-
mously as the conservatives, insisted
that Fiume should be Italian.
All the hope of acquiring title to
Plume through negotiations was at
an end. Mr.. Wilson could not recede
cause he had affirmed the question to
be moral before 1t was political. But,
impossible as was the task Of acquir-
ing title with American consent, there
was nothing in the way of actually
completing Italian possession, save the
which feared that an overt act. might
lead to the denial to Italy of the loans
and other assistance terribly needed.
On the other hand, Rumania had
managed to survive, and the rising ma
tional spirit of resentment made it
longer to stand in the pathway of ma
tional aspiration. even when 1t was
led to such a position by a wise re-
gard for national welfare. Nothing
then was more natural than that the
way out of the dilemma should be
found in the revival of one of the
most glorious and romantic episodes
in all history.
OF course the Italian ministry knew
Of the D'Annunzio plan. just as Cavour
and the king were thoroughly conver-
SAINT with Garibaldi's plan. Not to
perceive this is to be a dupe Of a
maneuver which has deceived no one
on the other side of the Atlantic.
Moreover, D'Annunzio was a particu-
larry available lie ader for such ven-
ture, since he had actually forced the
reluctant Italian government into the
and there was due him the gratitude
of the statesmen and publics Of the
allied nations, for whom 1talys en-
trance, at the very moment OF the
great Russian defeat at the Dunajec,
was almost a life-saving affair.
Ffume, the italian officers in his
pathway politely effaced them
selves. the Italian nation made no
attempt to disguise its approval and
enthusiasm. The government. which
could not have lived a moment, had
II undertaken to use force. and as
certainly could not have commanded
any Italian force to attack Fiume.
politely turned the task over to the
allies. after certain delays. not dis
advantageous to D'Annunzio.
Terribly sorry, but we can't just
manage to do this thing: awk-
ward for US to attempt to deal
with this wild fellow; please
take II in your own hands"
Such was the burden of the Italian
Official statement. Meantime Carl