Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-04-23
JUG0.SLAv
POSITION
UPHELD BY
PRESIDENT
Italian Delegates Bitter 0vef
Rejection Of Their Claims
But Seek Basis Of
Adjustment.

Paris, April 22.-(By the Ass6<
ciated Press)-Ths Italian situa.
ton remains unchanged. accord
ing to the authoritative announce.
ment after the meeting Of the
council of four today.
The italian premier, Vittori0
Orlando, while not attending the
session of the council, had series
of private conferences and ar.
ranged meeting with Premier
Lloyd George, with a view to
seeking plan of adjustment.
One compromise proposed to
the Italians, making provision for
the recognition of their claim to
Fiume in exchange for the aban-
donment of their claim to the
Dalmatian coast, was rejected.
There are indications of weaken.
ing on the part of the Italian dele
cation and a disposition to withdraw
their demands for the Dalmatian
binterland if permitted to have the J.
coast, the coastal watershed and
Fiume.
President Wilson is inhexible in
his position that Fiume shall not be
annexed to Italy, thus bottling up
Jugo-Slavia.
Hopeful of Agreement
Although Premier Orlando prob
ably will not attend the meetings Of
the council of four, the inclination
of the Italians to compromise is
looked upon as encouraging the
allies, who apparently are hopeful
that an agreement may be reached
by mutual concessions.
The suggestion is widely circulat-
ed tonight in Paris that Great Brit
ain and France cannot sign a peace
treaty with Germany if Italy refuses.
because under the London agree
ment no member of the entente is
to sign separate peace. The sug-
gestion, however, apparently has
not had any great effect on the ne
gotiations as the delegates expressed
the opinion that no single nation
can afford to hinder a treaty con-
forming to the provision of the
armistice broadly and that rights un-
der secret treaties will be lightly re-
garded by the peoples who are clam
oring for a settlement of the wor'd
war.
U. S. Not Involved.
As the United States is not sig.
ratory of the London agreement
not to make separate peace, even
the most serious break in the con-
ference would not prevent her from
making a peace with Germany, but
the American delegates refuse seri-
ously to CO slider such an eventuai-
ity.
The ambitions and rivalry of vari-
Gus leaders are figuring largely in
the present deadlock.
Economic, conditions, are so bad
and food and coal are so scarce in
the European countries today that
a majority of the peace delegates
feel that no important country will
attempt to continue fighting, under
conditions of virtual isolation from
the supply centers.
Italians Indignant.
A member of the Italian delega.
ton told The Associated Press to-
day that it considered it useless for
the Italian delegates to take part in
further conferences unless the allies
were willing to grant their requests.
The indignation of the Italian del
egation is as strong against the Brit
ish and the French as against the
Americans, and after the failure of
Premier Orlando again today to ap-
pear at the meeting of the council
of four the break between the Ital-
ians and the allies became we'll de-.
! fined.
Advised Wilson to Stay Away.
1t was learned today that it was
at the suggestion of the Italian dele
CATION that President Wilson re-
NAMED away from the meeting Mon
day morning when Premiers Lloyd
George, Clemenceau and Orlando
and Foreign Minister Sonnino dis
| cussed the London pact.
The meeting between the repre-
sentatives of the three powers, it is
understood, was extremely unsatis-
factory, as Italy insisted that the
London treaty should not be af-
fected by its subsequent agreement
to President Wilson's IA points and
demanded the literal fulfillment OF
the promises made her previously.
The Italian delegates are not pre-
pairing to leave Paris. apparently be-
,, lieving that the allies will ap-
proach them with a compromise be-
fore peace is signed with Germany.
However, the French. British and
American delegates show no signs
of weakening and continue to ad.
wise the Italians of the meetings as
if the Italian delegates had noe
helted