Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1919-05-01
italians, Being Refused Fiume by
President Wilson, Bolt the
Peace Conference.
RESULTS MAY PROVE SERIOUS
Success Of League Of Nations is lmper-
iIed-BoIshevists and Communists
Losing Ground-victory Loan
Going WeIl-carranza De-
nounces Monroe Doctrine.
BY EDWARD w. PlckARD.

By EDWARD w. PICkARO.
President Wilson declared fatty last
Wednesday that Italy should not have
Fiume because that outlet to the Adri-,
attic was essential to the prosperity Of
the Croatians and other Jugo-Slav
peoples.
Premier Orlando promptly an
nounced the withdrawal of the Italian
delegates from the peace conference
and on Thursday himself left Paris,
his colleagues remaining for the pres
ent in the vicinity of the French capt.
tai. 1--WE do not break with our allies,
but hand over our interests to their
hands trusting they will loyalty fulfill
their mission" said Orlando.
The seriousness of the situation was
recognized by all, and France and
Great Britain renewed their efforts to
bring about an agreement. The Italian
delegates endeavored to throw on Mr..
Wilson personally the blame for the
break, asserting that just before the
president issued his statement they
had received from Clemenceau, Lloyd
George and Wilson proposals that FL
ume should be free port, all the Dali
matian island cities going to Italy and
the hinterland to Croatia. This plan,
they declared, would have been accept
ed by them with the exception that the
city Of Fiume should be Italian and
it's port only internationalized. While
their ambassador was on his way with
a reply to this, said the Italians, they
were astounded to read in q Paris
newspaper Mr.. Wilson's statement and
appeal to public opinion in Italy. They
asserted that Mr.. Wilson made grave
error in diplomatic etiquette and that
nothing was left for them except to
withdraw from the conference
Lloyd George and Clemenceau, it
was said, read and approved Wilson'S
statement before it was given out, but
neither of them signed it. The docu-
ment called attention to the fact that
the treaty of London gave the Dalma-
tian coast and cities to Italy because
she needed protection against Austro-
Hungary, but that the Austro-Hungar-
ian empire no longer exists and SO the
necessity has passed; that Italy gave
her adherence to the IA points, and
that to give Fiume to her would not
be in accordance with them. The
Italians replied that Wilson already
had compromised some of those points,
notably in the case of the freedom Of
the seas and the Saar basin, and that
Italy was being Disseminated against
This really was the crux of the dis
pute.
Mr.. Wilson may have acted too i'm
petuously and may have violated Dip
lomatic courtesy in appealing to the
Italian people over their government,
but it is likely that in the matter of
the disposition of Fiume he is backed
by the great body of public opinion in
this country, and probably in Great
Britain and France. The justice of the
claims of the Jugo-Slavs are generally
recognized. Italy asserts Fiume is an
Italian city, but this is only half a
truth, for large part of it is inhabit-
ed by Croatians.
What would be the result if Italy's
withdrawal from the conference were
permanent was the subject of much
speculation. It was believed there
would be no consequent delay in the
treaty dealings with Germany, and
there were intimations that Italy