New-York tribune., 1919-10-10
"Threatening" Italy
terms.

1t is reported from Washington that
our government has not participated in
any warnings" to the Italian govern
ment in connection with the Fiume situa-
ton beyond the polite representations
which have been made from time to time
by the Supreme Council at Paris. Ac-
cording to Paris dispatches, the remon-
STRANGE of which the Italian newspapers
are bitterly complaining came from Baron
Hardinge. the British Under Secretary
of State for Foreign Affairs. 1t was ad-
dressed to the Italian Ambassador at
London and was therefore not in any
sense a communication from the peace
conference.
Baron Hardinge is said to have sug-
gested that if 'thc present illegal situa-
ton" at Fiume should continue Italy
would run the risk Of being put out of
the alliance and the peace conference"
Such a statement, if made, raises the
question, To what extent is the situation
in Fiume irregular or illegal? Fiume
belonged to Hungary The peace con-
terence has made no treaty of peace with
Hungary because it couldn't find an Hun
garian government with which it. was
willing to negotiate So far as the world
knows, Fiume has not been disposed of
either by being awarded to Croatia or by
being constituted an intcrnation&lzed
city, after the manner OF Danzig. D'Ar-
runzio violated no judgment OF decision
of the peace conference, or of any of its
boards on executive committees, when he
entered Fiumc. unless (. decree exists
framed secretly by one Of those boards
and not yet submitted to the conference
for approval the Italian government
is even less guilty Of ignoring or defyin2
the conference, since it has officially dis-
claimed responsibility for d.Annunzio's
adventure.
Italy j. st.ll a memncr Of the Supreme
Council Of the conference. Her represent
ative has a vote there, and whcn the
treaty with Hungary Is being nceot;a TED
ne VIII he entitled 70 be corsultod Ac-
ton IN the Supreme Council has generally
ncen taken as the result Of a uNaiinons
agreement-~cspecially in cases il Hnicn
any principal power has been directly in
tcrcsted On what grounds. then, could
italy be elected from the ccnnc. and the
conference for having INSTRUCTED Il de-
cision neither thc council nor the con-
ference has promulpatedf
At most, d'AunNazio's occuuaton of
Fiumc infrinpes tie terms Of thc armis-
Gee "hicA ccucern the policing Of the
eastern coast Of the Adratic But these
tel1ns were drawn up as u restraint on
Austria and Hungary, The eneiny owners
~ the eastern coast lanes The y.Aver
contemplated ar eA~Yelse of the rol;ca
power ~ one of the Aiioa ,,stians
against another. # tha spr.t or 'ettcr
oi me armlst;ce aQreeyuent tas been
broken at Fiuma, taas seems to r., q !nae-
ser 10 ne taken Up hy the inter-A,Gad
military council, which asYanaaa she
armstice- fiume Is stiN n A.ioA hands
and remalos 10 be Aehntciy allo,,ea t.
sofne Allied clai,aA7l
An ex.raordinsry amount Of ,,ancccs
sary friction has hoen caused by the
counc.ps inability 70 settle ,tc Iinnc
question. q noIehil has been converted
.ato mountain. The city is italian in
blood and sentiment 1t asks to be
| united to Italy. 1t is not Croatian.
| Americans generally would be glad to see