Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-08-07
: PAUL sCOTT MOWRER.

BY PAUL SCOTT MOWHEH.
By Cable to The Star and Chicago
Daily News. Copyright. 1913.
PARIS, August 6-The result Of
several weeks Of private negotiations
between Foreign Minister Tittoni OF
italy and Premier venizelos OF
Greece is an agreement between Italy
and Greece which is Of great interest
to the United States. In Asia Minor
Italy promises under certain minor
restrictions to give Greece the twelve
Greek inhabited islands which she
took from Turkey in the course OF the
Tripolitan war. Italy agrees to recog-
nize the Greek claims in Asia Minor
despite the pact of St Jean De Maui
rienna, which promises Smyrna to
Italy. Greece agrees to accept the
River Meander as a permanent line OF
demarkation between the Greek and
Italian districts.
In Albania Italy agrees to recog-
nize the Greek claim to the northern
Epirus-that is to say, to southern
Albania. Greece agrees to recognize
the Italian claim to Valona and
bahia. In Thrace. Italy agrees to
recognize the validity of the Greek
claim to all of Thrace, thus cutting
Off Bulgaria from the Aegean sea.
These private agreements must first
be accepted by the peace conference,
but the fact that they have been
reached between the states chiefly
concerned is long step toward their
definite realization.
How q. S. Is Interested
Where the interest of the United
States comes in is chiefly in Thrace.
1t was Col. Castoldi of the Italian
peace delegation, who has lived many
years in the Balkans and knows Bal
kan questions thoroughly, who first
won over our delegation to the con-
viction that Thrace should remain
Bulgarian. despite the political sup
port given by France and Britain to
the Greek claims. After a due analy-
sis of the various sets of "propagan-
da" statistics, 1t is apparent even to
persons unfamiliar with the Balkans
that. even aside from Bu1garia's right
to an outlet on the Aegean, the parts
nantly Bulgarian. Now that Italy has
agreed to change sides and recognize
the Greek claims the American dele
gates find themselves isolated in OPP
posing the Greek demand for Thrace.
M. Venizelos evidently hopes that
the Americans, being now in an abso-
lutte minority. will weaken, and in
deed there are certain Indications to
confirm his view. 1t is entirely pos
sible that neither Under Secretary
Polk, who is a newcomer in the
field Of European diplomatic intrigue.
nor Delegate white will fully grasp
the meaning Of Tittoni's maneuver.
am convinced that this Italian
diplomat in changing sides and
agreeing to support Greece In Thrace
merely did so to facilitate Greco-Italian
understandings in other regions. He
doubtless counted on the Americans
to hold firmly to what they believed
the right in the Thracian question.
II our delegates give in on the ques-
ton Of right merely because they
probably will /be considerably dis
concerted and/may even try to work
out some entirely new combination
before the question Is finally de-
cided.
sor, Baron Sonnino, who fought bit
terly over every point and tried to
bluster It through.
ItalysDspsndent on Allies.
re truth .boiEf Italy Is that she is
absolutely dependent at the present
time on the allies. specially the
United States and Britain, Tor food
for her people ana coal for her In
strained to accept all of the allies
decisions. Tittoni. therefore. dropped
the troublesome Fiume question for
the present. and behind a sort of
smoke screen OF discreetly optimistic
press propaganda Is pushing forward
every question concerning Italy. and
at the same time jockeyfnE for po-
sition at every possible point. Under
existing circumstances this would
certainly seem to be Italy's best
method. The entire Italian policy is
dominated by distrust of the new
Jugoslav state. It Is. therefore, ap-
detach Greece from the Jugoslav al
lance. If possible, and also to make
friends with Bulgaria and RumanIa,
thus preventing the formation Of a
Balkan block which would endanger
her penetration Of Albania. The 'un-
Outstanding with Greece is the first
step in this direction. but unless Italy
is to lose Bulgarian friendship it is