Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-04-30


pact of London can no longer ap-
ply to the settlement of her east
erp boundaries.
The line drawn in the pact of
London was conceived for the pur-
pose of establishing an absolutely
adequate frontier of safety for
Italy against any possible hostility
or aggression on the part of Aus
tria. But Austria Hungary no
longer exists. These eastern from
tiers will touch countries stripped
of the military and naval power
of Austria, settled in interdepend-
ence of Austria and organized for
the purpose of satisfying legiti-
mate national aspirations and Gre
ated states not hostile to the new
European order, but arising out of
it, interested in its maintenance,
dependent upon the cultivation of
friendships and bo md to COM
mon policy of peace and accommo-
dation by the Gov, Nant Of the
league of nations.
Agrees on Triest and Pola
1t is with these facts in mind
that | have approached the Adri
attic question. 1t is commonly
agreed. and very heartily adhere
to the agreement, that the ports of
Triest and Pola. and with them the
greater part of the Austrian
peninsula, should be Ceded to Italy,
her eastern frontier running along
the natural strategic line cstab-
lished by the physical confOrma-
ton of the country line which
it has been attempted to draw,
with some degree of accuracy, in
the attached map.
Within this line, on the Italian
side. will be considerable bodies of
non-Italian populations, but their
fortunes are so naturally linked,
by the nature of the country it
self, with the rest of the Italian
people, that | think their inclusion
fully justified.
There would be no justification,
in my judgment, in including
Fiume, or any part of the coast
line to the south of Fiume, within
the boundaries of the Italian king
dom. Fiume is, by situation and
by all the circumstances of its de-
velopment, not an Italian, but an
international port, serving the
countries to the east and north of
the Gulf of Fiume.
Autonomy for Fiume
Just because it is an interna-
tional port and cannot with JUS
tice be subordinated to any one
sovereignty, it is my clear judg-
ment that it should enjoy a very
considerable degree of genuine
autonomy, and while it should be
included no doubt within the Gus
toms system of the new Jugo-
Slavic state, it should neverthe-
less be left free in its own inter,
est, and in the interest of the
states lying about it, to devote
itself to the service of the COM
merce which naturally and inev-
itably seeks an outlet or inlet at
it's port.
The states which it serves will
be new states. They will have COM
plete confidence in their access to
an outlet on the sea. The friend
ship and the connections of the
future will largely depend upon
such an arrangement as | have
suggested and friendship, coop
peration and freedom of action
must underlie every arrangement
of peace if peace is to be lasting.
| believe there will be common
agreement that the island of Lissa
should be ceded to Italy, and that
she should retain the port of Vol
pha. | believe that it will be
generally agreed that the fortifi-
cations which the Austrian gov
ernment established upon the is
lands near the eastern coast of
the Adriatic should be perma-
nently dispensed with under in
ternational guarantee and that the
disarmament which is to be ar
ranged under the league of ma
tions should limit the states on the
eastern coast of the Adriatic to
only such minor naval forces as
are necessary for policing the
waters of the islands and the coast.
These are conclusions which | am
forced to by compulsion of the un-
derstandings which underlie the
whole initiation of the present
peace.
No Other Conclusion Possible
No other conclusions seem to be
acceptable to being rendered, con-
cisely with these understandings.
They were understandings ac-
Ll L