The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1919-05-02
The Adriatic Question.

The public had been forewarned
that President Wilson was opposed
to the claims Of Italy. and his state
ment of yesterday j. therefore not n
surprise. 1t remains. however. a
disappointment to Americans a.
we'll M to Italians because it il es-
sentially refusal To acquiesce in a
settlement which Italy declares to
be necessary To her security. While
the average American will not go
into details. he feels that somehow
an adjustment could be found which
would guarantee the security of
Italy, and the failure of reaching
that adjustment l. a disappoint-
ment. If complications and dis
orders should follow this failure, the
disappointment will be accentuated, ,
for the country is sick and tired Of
interallied misunderstanding aris-
ing in the Paris conference.
If the opinion OF Americans could
be taken at this moment. 1t would
probably be overwhelming against
any attempt on the part of the
American delegates to dictate re-
adjustments in Europe. Americans
feel that the role of mediator is Il
thankless one at best. and Is par
ticularly ungracious when assumed
In patrOnlziug manner by New
World nation which forbids any
European Interference with cisatlan-
tic affairs.
President Wilson's opposition to
the Italian claims i that the situa-
tion has completely changed since
the treaty of London was signed in
1918. there being no Austria Hun
gary now. The enemy fleet no longer
exists. and therefore he does not
think Italy l. threatened from that
source. A. for Fiume. which IL un-
questionably an Italian city, the
President holds that it IL the natural
outlet of the Jugoslav hinterland, ,
and must not be bottled up. The
new states that have emerged from
Austria Hungary. he cont zen q :,
should be given their right to
exist ont heir own territory and to
have an unimpeded outlet to the
sea
The treaty of London does not
constitute ltaly's claim to security.
hut il merely a recognition of it by
France, England and Russia. If
there were no treaty, Italy would
still be entitled. ike France. to Il
guarantee against Hun aggression.
The disappearance of the Austrian
fleet is not a guarantee, any more
than the surrender of the German
fleet is guarantee that the Huns
will never again strike at England
Fiume Is an open door through
which the Hun could again attack
Italy. and should not be left in
possession of Italy's avowed and un-
reconciled enemy. The Croatians
are not only enemies of Italy. but
enemies of the United States, Eng
land and France. They deserve
only such consideration as is given
to the Germans or the Austrian
Huns. President Wilson's speech
i'm New York in September. 1918.
declared for justice to enemies a.
we'll as friends, and the allies have
accepted that principle. They balk
however. whenever justice to the
enemy involves injustice and dan
ger to themselves.
If Fiume should not go to Italy.
il should not 90 to the enemies of
Italy. 1t should not become the
gateway of the Huns in another at
tack upon Italy. So strongly is It
ally determined to make her borders
secure that she has risked break
with her allies on the point, while
her people threaten a revolution if
the Paris conference does not safe
guard Italy. The outlook Is bad.
1t need not have been so bad. Rev
olution in Italy would be accom-
panied by manifestations of bad
feeling against France and the
United States. a situation that hints
of the ugliest possibilities. There
are several millions of Italian-bo
citizens of the United States who
will look upon the developments in
Italy with grave anxiety and regret
What becomes of the league OF
nations. if two of the five strong
props of civilzation-Japan and 1t.
aly-are denied their just claims al
Paris? Upon the five great power:
depends the security of the world
The tranquility of Italy during
these perilous times is a factor il
the worlds peace That factor
seems to have been ignored at Paris
1t will not be ignored if Italy
should flame with revolution. The
cloistered discussion of millennia
league of nations would be fudely
if revolution should spread
into allied countries.