Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-04-24
Will SONS ATTITUDE ON ITALYS
CLAIMS FOR .FIUME AND DALMATIA

. Paris. April 24-The text of Presi
dent Wilson's statement today on hi.
position regarding Italy's AdriatiC
claims follows;
In view Of the capital importance
If the questions affected, and in order
TO throw all possible light upon what
Is involved in their settlement, | hope
rhat the following statement will con
tribute 10 the final formation of opin
ion and to a satisfactory solution.
when Italy entered the war she
entered upon the basis OF definite
private understanding with Great
Britain and France, now known as the
pact Of London.
Since that time the whole face
Of circumstances has been altered
Many other powers grea, and small,
have entered the struggle, with no
knowledge Of that private understand.
ing.
The Austro-Hungarian empire,
then the enemy Of Europe, and at
whose expense the pact of London
was to be kept in the event of vic.
tory, has gone to pieces and no long
er exists.
Not only that, but the several parts
of that empire, it is agreed now by
Italy and all her associates, are TO be
erected into independent states and
associated in a league of nations, not
with those who We're recently our
enemies, but with Italy herself and
he powers that stood with Italy in
the great war for liberty.
Fourteen Points Only Basis for Peace.
We are to establish their liberty
as we'll as our own. They are to be
among the smaller states whose in.
terests are henceforth to be safe
guarded as scrupulonsly as the in
terests Of the most powerful states
The war was ended, moreover. by
proposing to Germany an armistice
and peace which should be founded on
certain clearly defined principles
which sci up new order of right and
justice.
Upon those principles the peace
with Germany has been conceived not
only. but formulated Upon those
principles will be effected.
We cannot ask the great body of
powers to propose and effect peace
with Austria and establish a new
basis Of Independence and right in I
the states which originally constitut- /.
ed the Austro-Hungarian empire and /
in the states Of the Balkan group on
principles Of another kind.
We must apply the same principles
20 the settlement Of Europe in those
uarters that we have applied in the
reace with Germany.
1t was upon the explicit avowaI of
those principles that the initiative
Tor peace was taken It is upon them
hat the whole structure of peace
must rest
Fiume Not italian.
II those principles are to be ad.
lered to, Fiume must serve as the
'utlet of commerce. not. of Italy. but
# the land to the north and north
asst of that Hungary, Bohemia,
&oumania and the states of the new
ugo-Slav group.
TO assign Fiume to Italy would be
0 create the feeling that we have
put the port upon which ,
il those countries chiefly depend for !
heir access to the Mediterranean in :
ne hands Of power of which it i
I'd not form an integral part and {
hose sovereignty, if set up there, 9
lust inevitably seem foreign, not do
nestle or identified with the CONNER 9
ial and industrial life of the re-
ions which the port must serve. 4
1T is for that reason, no doubt, ,
nat Fiume was not included in the .
act of London, but there definitely h
ssigned to the Croatians.
And the reason why the line of c
le pact of London swept about many
the islands of the eastern coast of |
le Adriatic and around the portion
the Dalmatian coast which lies
ost open to that sea was not only
lat here and there on those on those