The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-04-21
CLIMAX
FORCED
BY ITALY
Big Four Meets Today With
President Wilson Not TAX
ing Part in Pro
ceedings.
COUNTER THREAT MADE
Peace Conference No Nearer Settle
ment on Fiume Question Than
Il Was Week
Ago.
COUNTER THREAT MADE
IBy Fred s. Ferguson, United Press
Staff Correspondent

! [By Fred s. Ferguson, United Press
Staff Correspondent
| PARIS, April 21.-The "big four"
met today to thresh out Italy's terri
torial claims. with President Wilson
absent.
| The presidents withdrawal from
| the meeting is the result of Italy
basing her demands on the pact of
! London which was consummated be-
| fore America entered the war and
which America regards as nullff1ed
along with all other secret treaties.
| Settlement of the Italian claims,
which has occupied the attention OF
the ''big four since Thursday. is re-
garded as vital, in-as-much as virtual
ultimatums are understood to have
| been exchanged by the opposing fac
| tions. Italy is stated unofficially to
| have threatened to block the entire
lpeace settlement by withdrawing
| from the conference and holding the
other allies to their agreement to
sign no separate" peace. This stand
is said to have been met by coun-
! ter-threat to exert economic pressure
on Italy by cutting off her credits,
| food and coal.
Yesterdays session brought the
conferees no nearer to settlement,
both sides staunchly maintaining
their previous position - Wilson
standing firmly against awarding
Fiume to Italy: the Italians holding
out for complete possession Of that
seaport.
The meeting today was expected to
bring about the climax, as Premier
Orlando is scheduled to appear be-
| fore the chamber of deputies in
Rome tomorrow. COMMUNICATIONS
! from Rome are making the position
of Orlando and Foreign Minister Son.
nino increasingly difficult as public
sentiment plainly is insistent on ac-
| ceptance of Italy's entire annexation
list program With Orlando attending
today's session it is doubtful IL he
can reach Rome by tomorrow, SO he
may ask postponement of his speech
until Wednesday.
George Washington Sent Back.
/ IBy Carl D. Groat, United Press
| Staff Correspondent
PARIS, April 21.-President VIII
| son has decided not to hold the
George Washington at Brest, It was
! learned from an authoritative source
today. ~
The liner it was said, will be sent
home loaded with troops. Her escort,
! the dreadnought Arizona, will remain
! at Brest, ready for a quick trip, II
necessary.
! The president, impressed by the
! great members Of soldiers anxious to
] get home, determined it was best not
! to keep the big ship idle.
| The schedule of troopships is such
| that under no circumstance would he
have had to wait more than two or
three days for transportation. regard
/ less of when he decided to sail.
| 1t now appears that May 20 prob
/ ABLY is too early for the presidents 8
return. AS a result, while no defi-
i mite announcement has been made, 1t
is held to be foregone conclusion
that a call for an extra session OF
congress will be cabled some time in
May, with the president sailing be-
/ TWEEN May 20 and June 1.
From British sources it has been
learned that the "big four" tele-
| graphed the German government that
! It must send delegates empowered to
negotiate peace, and not merely to
act as messengers in carrying the
| text of the treaty to Weimar. This,
T, it was pointed out, will materially
/ cut down the time elapsing between
presentation of the peace terms and
1 their formal acceptance.
! The president, following yester-
! days session of the 'fbig four" mo-
tored about the city, enjoying the
beautiful Easter sunshine.
/ An inch of rain descending on au