Evening star., 1920-02-29
FIUME ISSUE REFLECTS
SPLIT IN BASIC IDEAS
Secret Treaties and President Wilson S
Fourteen Point" Point in Opposite
Directions, Simonds Explains.

when he went to Europe, that he. had
only to insist upon the fourteen points
and he would be supported by the
mass OF the people of all nations.
Having thus established peace on this
basis. he assumed that 1t would auto
matically endure. as peace of jus
tice."
In Europe he discovered that dur
ing the war the nations involved had
been compelled to make agreements-
to promise Japan, Italy and Rumania
certain rewards for participation.
Promised these rewards, Japan, Italy
and Rumania had entered the war. to
the very great profit of France and
been defeated. These agreements
the famous secret treatieS"-mani-
testify conflicted with the fourteen
points. but neither France nor Brit
ain could safely go back on these
agreements if the nations who held
their pledges insisted upon perform
ance. In the case of Japan President
Wilson agreed in the end to yield.
and with informal promises of Shan
tung evacuation japan acquired what
had been promised her.
In the case Of Italy the President
refused to yield and the italians in
sisted upon performance. Britain and
France were thus called upon to de-
eide whether their pledge to Italy
was scrap of paper" or their deci
abolished. For many months-for 3;
whole year-British and French
statesmen have been temporizine.
seeking to keep in" with Wilson
while not actually breaking with It.
ally: Meantime the French have more
| Italians and the British with Wilson.
Issue Unchanged.
Today the issue remains unchanged
demands narfnrnanNa n
solemn pledges embodied in the treaty
OF London and points to the fact that
one of the great issues OF the war was
the maintenance of the sanctity OF in
ternational obligations. Britain and
France. having tried to arrive at a
compromise and having merely arous-
ed the Presidents Indignation, are
still faced with the dilemma. The
gravity of the problem lies in the fact
that even complete acceptance OF the
Presidents leadership and the conse-
uent alienation Of Italy may not in
sure American support for the fu-
ture. while yielding to Italy and es-
tranging the President may lead to
the loss of all chance of American
assistance or American participation.
All of which is another way of say
ing Europe. in the hope of enlisting
American aid in European reconstruc-
tion and peace maintenance, has
placed in the Presidents hands abso-
lutte veto power, SO far as their own
policies are concerned, only to discov-
er that they have not acquired any as
surance of American participation.
Now the French and the Italians. like
the Rumanians and the Greeks, desire
to regain freedom Of action and take
away the Presidents power to veto.
! while Great Britain still insists upon
placating the President, because Brit
ish statesmen still cling to the idea
that America. IL not disgusted, will
presently come back into European
affairs.
This means. IL it means anything.
that the continent-France, Italy and
the smaller tsates-will. at no distant
time, repudiate the Presidents con-
troll of European affairs, while Brit
ish opposition to such a reputation
will lead to a complete break between
Britain and the continent. Then the
question will arise whether the United
States will reward the British course
by participation in an Anglo-Ameri-
can alliance. II it does. British pol
icy at Paris and since will be vindi-
Gated: IL it does not. that policy will
prove a very costly blunder. But
every recent indication from London
serves to confirm the Paris impress
sion that the British mean to run
every risk In the hope OF realizing the
Anglo-American alliance
tCopyriEht lnno. Mcclure Newspaper svnAicate.)