American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1919-04-11

heSe groups and serious trouble was threatened.
II was only the thought that back in Paris
.'oushtluI statesmen were assembling fully de-
'erihhed TO settle once for all the possibility of
war that enabled one to go through Plume with
OUT making the prediction that the war was in its
INFANCY rather than at Its end.
ror some unknown reason Fiume was not In
Guided In the list OF towns allotted italy in that
no" FAMOUS pact OF London, which was signed
oy the allies Just before Italy entered the war.
Poln and Triste, ports on the AdrIntic. and stu.
ated on the lstrian peninsula, were given to Italy.
itailnn possession OF the lnst-named cities was
more or less nnquestioned. hut Fiume was liter
ally n No Mans Land when the peace conference
started although neither Italy nor the Jugo-Slavs'
would admit as much.
Americans as Medlators.
America had II really prominent pnrt in the nj.
fair, a noncommital part, because we were not
one OF the nations signing the pnct of London.
In every respect we We're neutral. But we had
one warshlp md four destroyers In the hnrbor.
and a battalion of soldiers ashore. and our colors
we're cheorcd with enthusiasm by both elements
onntesting for possession of the city.
Americas popularity may In a measure be
Judged by the fact that one OF the local hotels
had just been rechristened Hotel Wilson, and
there were numerous American flags In evidence
also pictures of President Wilson.
While small In number-the American soIdlery
numbered only n battallon-our troops had a pres.
tige that was wholly out of proportion TO their
numerical strength, The responsibility OF patrolIlnp
the streets and maintaining quiet was divided
among tho -four allied nations. In this Job Amer
can troops had one quarter of the work 10 per.
form, since each street patrol was composed of
four soldiers-a Frenchman, an Italian. n British
Tommy and nm American. They walked I'm fours
abreast, and you could see several such groups In
even n brief survey OF the city from one of the
principal business corners,
Somehow or other the patrols managed to con.
verse with each other, The Americans and Eng
lxh could understand one another. OF course. and
the Italian and French could talk. Then I'm each
patrol there were usually one or two men tina
knew a few words of either Latin or English. So
the men had little or no trouble In transmitting d
given idea about.
Most of the American hoys were natives OF
Ohio, although Lieut.. Col William Evcrson. ther
commander, hailed from Indiana. Among the I'm
der officers We're strapping young fellows malnl,
! from the middle West. One OF these explained I,
me some of the Importance that had heen thrus
: on the American contingent through the develop
a uent of the political situation.
4 I'VE are medlators here" the officer said, IAN
{ are snther popular all around. In a way, our out
n at is sitting on the lid. When we get of troubl
ia going TO break out right away. The Jugo-Slav
!, are mobillzing an army back in the country. SeN
eral Slavs we know. natives OF this communlt,
received their orders to go to camp. Should W
; leave It's a moral certainty the Jugo-Slavs an
Italian troops will clash before long"
French Are Accused.
o The actual contention, however. was not betwee
+ the Jugo- Slavs, as such, and the Italians, but b,
e tween the Italians and the French. The highes
g Italian officials In this Istrian territory believe
: the French were backing the Jugo-Slavs, armin
g them. and encouraging them In their demands fc