The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1919-05-15
THE CASE OF FiUME.
National Republican.

No principle sufficient to justify
serious delay in the peace procedure
Is involved in the dispute over the
question of whether Italy or the Jugo-
Slav republic is to posses Fiume, city
of some 10000 inhabitants on the east
shore of the Adriatic. The desire to
control Fiume no more exemplifies the
land grabbing spirit Of the Italians
than of the Jugo-Slavs The moran
right to sovereignty over Fiume more
clearly belongs to Italy than to the
Jugo- Slav nation, comprising Austrian
enemy territory liberated by the Ital-
ian armies. Fiume is a city of an
cient Iberia, once a part of Italy, and
naturally as much part of Italy as
the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine
are Of France; majority of the pres
ent-day population of the city Is Ital-
ian. lily broke away from her alliance
with the central powers, and cast in
her lot with the allies at a crucial mo-
ment in the war. in order to redeem
her own lost provinces. 1t is evident
that if Italy had remained with the
central powers, opening southern
France to the Eruption of German and
Austrian armies. the war would never
have reached the point where this
country would have interviewed to save
the day; Germany would to-
no ovid
Colossus, and would be issu-
suing orders on both sides Of the
Atlantic. Italy has made greater sac
rifices than any other of the belliger-
ent powers. Along with France she
has expended in the war nine tenths
Of her capital. She has suffered in loss
Of life little less, in proportion, than
France.
France and England entered into a
treaty with Italy, early in 1917, accord
ing to her certain territorial acquisi-
tons, in case of allied success. This
treaty is no more discreditable to Italy
than to our associates, France and
England. This treaty does not bind
this country, but it is not surprising
that since England has been given
practically everything agreed upon
in that treaty, and France has like
wise secured every concession promis-
ed, that Italy should feel sighted in
questioned, as against the alleged
right of new nation carved from
Austrian territory and populated by
former Austrian subjects.
1t is evident that this delicate issue
with Italy has been handled in
bungling manner. Italy was overrun
long ago with American press agents,
who so successfully advertised Mr..
Wilson that candles were burned be-
fore his picture in the Italian trenches
last fall. He made triumphal tour
of Italy, appealing to the crowds in the
streets, and winning an ovation which
the presidential press agents interpret
ed to mean that he had but to speak
the word and any government in Italy
fall. President Wilson has done much
talking about appealing over the heads
of governments to the masses Of the
people. The Italian incident is a suf-
ficient commentary upon the wisdom
of that publicly proclaimed policy. Mr..
Wilson's public statement concerning
the issues involved in the Fiume con-
troversy, on the eve of the departure
of the Italian representatives from the
peace conference, was calculated to
make the situation more, rather than
less, difficult. 1t is evident that the
Italian people sustain their representa-
tives at the peace conference with sub
stantial unanimity. We have come
out of this conflict with the hostility
of a people who were intensely friendly
to everything American before the
episode occurred. 1t has been demon
strated that we cannot safely under
take the settlement of European ques-
lions, whose roots are centuries old.
The Italian trouble exemplifies clear.
ly the situations certain to arise in
connection with American participa-
ton in league of nations dominated
by European powers. In other cases of
dispute, as in this. we
would be compelled to take a hand in
settling questions which do not i'm
concern us, and would in
time reap the harvest of i'll will thus
sown.