Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-05-01
WILSON IS BLAMED
FOR FIUME ACTION
Italian Society Censures Pres
ident but ProclaimS Its
Loyalty to the U. S.

Resolutions condemning the stand
President Wilson has taken against
Italy in the demand for Fiume and
expressing the belief that the peo-
pie of the United States would take
sides with Italy If they fully under
stood the situation, were passed at
meeting of the Italian Social and
Beneficial Society at the headquar-
ters OF the association, PA South
Second street. Joseph j. Parialo,
the president is one of the most
energetic Victory bond statesmen in
Harrisburg this week. The society
has asked the Telegraph to publish
the following communication:
AT a meeting of the Italian
Social and Beneficial Society, held
at 234 South Second street, Harris
burg, Pa, on Sunday, April 81, 1919,
resolutions were adopted condemn
ing the action of President Wilson
in his stand against the claim of
Italy for the possession of Ffume.
I'VE wish the public to under
stand our position with respect to
the actions of the President and also
wish to impress upon our fellow
countrymen, who are aggrieved on
account of his actions, that no blame
should rest against the good people
of the United States, who have al
ways been the friends of Italy.
The majority of the people of
the United States would sympathize
with the Italian. position if they
understood it better. Italy makes
the same claim to Fiume that
France makes to Alsace- Lorraine.
and for the same reasons. F'iume
was once part of Italy and was
taken away from her by conquest.
The people speak the Italian lam
guase; their traditions sympathies
and civilization are Italian and their
desire is to be annexed to the
Italian government.
When Italy went into the war,
she did so under the express under
standing that Fiume should be
ceded to Italy in the event of vic
tory and this hope inspired and
buoyed the Italian soldiers to no
less extent than the hope OF regain
| ing Alsace- Lorraine inspired the
French. The suffering of her people,
the valor of her soldiers, the sacri-
| flee of her government was the debt
she paid for the repatriation of
! territory which had been torn from
| her by war.
Cruel and Unjust
1T is cruel and unjust, after the
war is won, no less by Italy's sacri-
| flee and valor. than by any other
government, that she should be de-
| priVed of her just share of the vic
I tory. The war could not have been
won had not Italy entered at the
time she did. The Germans would
have gone into Paris had not the
Italian government given France her
word of honor that she would not
attack her and thereby permitted
France to release at a crucial mo-
ment three armies. and it was those
armies, released from the Italian
border, which turned the tide of
battle when Paris was beleaguered.
Nor could the Allies have withstood
the fierce onslaught of the Germans
and Austrians had their forces not
been divided by reason of Italy's
brave stand in the war.
THE broken faith of Italy and
the other Allies is a poor recon-
pense for this sacrifice and this aid.
To say that a solemn agreement
made between England, Italy and
France should not be carried out
because conditions have changed. is
as bad in morality as it is in policy.
Germany may with equal force,
when she invaded territory, have
Sdlu InaL Sne was JuStlned In break
ing her treaty with Belgium because
conditions had changed since the
treaty was made.
The test of honor is the doing
OF n thing under your pledged
promise even though it may be in
convenient to do so. And it is on
the word of honor OF England and
France that Italy depends for the
| carrying out of this pact between
two sovereign governments and it
ought to be remembered that this
pact was made before the United
| States entered into the war and
when the danger of the Allies was
greater than at any subsequent time.
I'VE also want the Italian people
to understand that whatever of
grief we may feel on account of the
actions of the President, that his
actions are not the actions of the
people of the United States. and
that their loyalty and devotion to
the American flag, which is their
flag, should not be diminished one
iota on account of any pique or
grievance they may feel on account
of the actions of its President and
III this crisis they should buy Victory
Liberty Bonds, as these bonds are
not being sold for Mr.. Wilson, but
for the people of the United States.
JOSEPH J. PARIALO,
President of tho italian Sooio