The sun., 1919-09-06
SAYS BRITAIN TOOK
FIUME FROM ITALY
Placed Obstacles in the Way,
G. A: Cotello Tells Senate
Committee.

WASHINGTON, Sept 5.-British inter-
ests at the Paris Peace Conference de-
liberately created difficulties as to their
respective ideals Of peace" between Italy
and the United States for economic rea-
sons. State Senator S. A. Cotello Of New
York charged to-day before the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee. He APP
peared in behalf o, Italys claims to
Fiume.
italian national development in the
the British, he said. and "a cordial un-
Outstanding between the United States
and Italy would mean reduction OF
British power In Europe"
Answering question by Senator
Moses (New Hampshire). Mr.. Cotello
Cotello asserted that while the people
OF Fiume would trust the United States
they would not trust a League of Ma
lions to procure their rights He also
said the suggestion that Italy could OBJ
tain American food and coal "only by
betrayal of the people OF Fiume" was
cruel.
Unwilling to he Dependent.
ITALY is tired OF depending politically
and economically upon Germany and Is
unwilling to depend on Great Britain
or France" he said. British dominance
forbids Italy to reach her development
In the Mediterranean and the world"
he continued, land since a good under
standing between Italy and the United
States meant reducing OF British power
obstacles had been placed In Paris in
the way OF that understanding"
tot a,-lla W \
said the people OF Ffume were Italian
by blood. tradition and language and
were anxious to be reunited TO Italy
He said he spoke from three years ex-
perience as American consular agent
there and later service with the Ameri-
can Army In the same region.
To sustain italian morale during the
war, Representative La Guardia said he
had endeavored to interpret for them
Point TX. of the Presidents fourteen
points-that relating to self-determina-
ton. He told the Italians, he said, that
self-determination meant for them resto-
ration of all Italian peoples to Italian
sovereignty. including those Of Fiume.
Representative La Guardla said the
President had blue pencied" the so
called Tardieu compromise regarding
Ffume, and that a subsequent agree
ment reached by France, Great Britain
and Italy had been forwarded recently
to Washington for the Presidents APP
prevail
Necessary for Defence.
Prof. Alexander Oldrim Of New York.
chairman of the Italian-American del
egstion appearing before the committee,
made a lengthy statement of the basis
of Italy's claims TO Fiume and certain
Dalmatian territory, contending that not
only did differentiation OF the people
OF Fiume direct that course but that
adequate defence of Italy demanded an
nexation of this territory.
William H. Field of New Jersey. who
said he had been in Paris during the
peace conference, volunteered to fils
with the committee documents to show
that Col. (. NJ. House had favored the
awarding of Ffume to Italy and thai
only President Wilson had opposed that
action. He said also that he would sub
NIT papers showing that opposition to
Italian acquisition of the port had come
from the German banking house Of
Warburg" because of certain railway in
terests 1t controlled in that region.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Fields state
ment Senator Lodge announced that tho
hearings on the treaty were closed