New Britain herald., 1919-04-25
ORLANDO Defends
ITALIAN DEMANDS
Issues Public Statement Setting
Forth His Own Position

Paris, April 24.-Premier Orlando
today issued the following statement:
! "Yesterda.y While the Italian dele
| cation was discussing counter-nropo-
| sitions, which had been, received from
/ the British prime minister and which
| had for their aim the Cancellation of
| contradictory tendencies which were
manifested concerning italian terri
torlal aspirations, the Paris newspa-
pers punhshed message from the
| president of the United states in
| which he expressed his own thought
| on one of the gravest problems which
| has been submitted to the Judgment
of the conference.
Innovation i'm Diplomacy.
THE practice of addressing nations
directly constitutes surely an lnnova-
| ton IN international relations. ! do
not wish to complain, but I wish to
record It as precedent SO that at
my own time 1 may follow it, mas
much this new custom doubtless
| constitutes the granting to nations OF
| larger participations in international
| questions, and personally, I have al
ways been Of the opinion that such
! participation was the harbinger of a.
new order of things.
| nevertheless, If these appeals are
| to be considered as addressed to ma
| items outside of the governments
| which represent them Ct might say
even against the ~ governments, i
should feel deep regret IN recatnhs
! that this process, heretofore applleo
| to enemy government Is today ap-
! piled tor the first time to a govern
| naent which has been ana antenos TO
remain a loyal ally of the great Amer
lean republic, namely, to the Italian
! government
Premier Orlando says that he might
complain that such message al
dressed to the Italian nation had
been published at the very moment
when the allied and associated pow
ers were negotiating with the Italian
government the help of which, had
been sought and appreciated IN nu-
merous serious questions, heretofore
discussed in intimate and complete
solidarity. 5~>
Resents Address to People.
Above all he continues, Il should
| have the right to complain if the dec
+ larations of the presidential m essage
have the purpose to oppose the Itai-
ian people to the Italian government,
because it would misconstrue and de-
NY the high degree of civilization
which the Italian people has attained
and its democratic and liberal regime,
TO oppose the Italian people and gov
ernm emit would be to admit that this
great free nation would submit to the
yoke of a will other than it's own, and
I should be forced to protest strongly
against suppositions unjustly offensive
to nay country
SC
statement, Premier Orlando says it
entirely purports to demonstrate that
| the Italian claims beyond certain
| limits laid down in his MESA sc VIC
late the principles upon which must
| be founded the new regime of right,
| Justice and liberty among peoples,
and adds that he never denied these
principles and that even President
Wilson would do him the justice to
= say that in the long conversations they
had together, he (Orlando) had new
err relied upon the formal authority
of a treaty by which he knew Presi-
dent Wilson was not bound, but mere
ly relied on reason and justice, upon
| which Italy's claims Were based
Signar Orlando depfores that lac
! could not convince President Wilson,
although the President admitted that
- fSAS
" of no man and that all men err. The
conference, he pointed out, has had
a change In mind many times and he
did not think himself disrespectful by
asking it to change it again.
IT consider as unjustified the appll-
cation that. in his statement, Presi-
| dent Wilson makes Of his principles
toward the Italian claims Premier
Orlando continues. 1T is impossible
= for ME in a document Of this nature
to repeat the detailed arguments
which have been produced in Italy:
behalf 1 might simply say that nc
one will receive without reserve the
affirmation that the collapse of the
Austr o. Hungarian empire should i'm
ply the reduction Of Italian aspira
tion.'
Must Protect Flank.
Citing the presidents argument tina
- the concessions granted bring Italy t.
its natural defenses, the Alps. Signo
Y Orlando says:
This recognition is of great I'm
= portanee, provided the eastern flanl
:. Of this wall does not remain open ant
that the right of Italy should be in
terpreted to include the line of Mon
Nevoso, which separates the water