The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1919-04-24
WILSON DENIES
,ITALY'S CLAIM
President Bases Fiume Stand
on IA Points,"
JUGO SLAVS AEEO PORT
The Statement Comes in the Face of
ItaIy's Threat to Bolt Peace Confer
ence if Denied Claim.

Paris, April 24-President Wilson
issued a statement declaring Amer:c
Dlust stand by the principles it has al
ready enunciated i'll making decisions
regarding Italy's claims.
\ new set of principles cannot be
established for the Balkans he said
The president held that Fiume cam
not be given to Italy, but must be
made available as seaport for the
small nations behind it.
President Wilson pointed out that
conditions existing at the time the
treaty of London was signed G915)
have been altered by the dissolution
of ria-Hungary and the establish
ment of new Balkan states. He in
sisted the peace conference must ap-
ply the principles established in the
armistice and the fourteen points.
eff these principles are to be adj
hered to, Fiume must serve as an out
let for the commerce, not Of Italy, but
of the lands to the norheastward-
Hungary, Bohemia (CZechO- -Slovakia)
Rumania and the states of the new
Jugo-Slav group.
'To assign Fiume to Italy would be
to create a feeling that we had de-
liberately put the port upon which
those countries chiefly depend for ac-
cess to the Mediterranean in the hands
of power which these nations
did not form an integral part,
and whose sovereignty, if set up there,
must inevitably seem foreign, not do
nestle"
The president concluded by pointing
out that the fear of aggression ex-
listing at the time of the treaty of Lon
don is no longer valid.
When Signor Orlando, Italy's pre-
mier received President Wilson's state
ment he Immediately called a full
meeting of the italian delegation.
The meeting is preparing a state
ment on the situation to be addressed
to the Italian people.
Signor Orlando threatened earlier
to return. to Italy unless there is a
satisfactory adjustment of the Fiume
and Dalmatian questions.
David LLOYD George is trying to per-
suade the Italian leader 10 remain III
Paris longer, while he continues his
efforts to reconcile the opposing view
points.
The British premier, it became
known, tried unsuccessfully during a
discussion. to reconcile the viewpoints
OF preG..ent Wilson and Signor Orlan-
do.
The Italian delegation reasserted its
determination to stand firm on the
question of Flume
II indicated that unless the council
changed its position the delegation
would not return to the conference.
The facts of the Italian deadlock, ac-
cording TO the Petit Parisien, are as
follows:
President Wilson proposed that
Fiume. which is not mentioned in the
London treaty, should be a free city,
but attached to the Jugo-Slav customs
system, and further that the London
treaty should be subjected TO a total
revision.
Italy refused to accept this proposal,
whereupon President Wilson with
drew, leaving Italy alone with the rep
resentatives Of the other signatories
of the treaty.
In the meetings of the representa-
tives of the signatories, both Signor
Orlando and Baron Sonnino were
most concillatory, Orlando especially
having asked repeatedly on what con-
dition France and Great Britain would
consent to give Fiume to Italy. Baron
Sonnino said he was ready to discuss
\ revision of the London treaty.