The Washington herald., 1920-03-08
TEXT OF PRESIDENTS REPLY OF MARCH
TO ALLIED PREMIERS ON FUMES STATUS
% by the
inaer Fanea md CreaB lated Februay26

the note under reply the President desiresto reter
to the memorandum of December . as making
adequate provisions to meet the needs OF !ugo-
Slavia.
Regarding the character and applicability of the
Treaty Of London, the President is led to speak
with less reserve account of the frank observa-
tions of the French and British prime ministers
He is unable to find in the exigencies Of military
strategy sufficient warrant for exercising secrecy
with government which intimately associ-
ated with the signatories of the Treaty OF London
in the gigantic TASK of defending human freedom
and which being called upon for unlimited
assistance and for untold treasure. The dehnite
and well-accepted policy of the American govern
ment throughout its participation in the delibera-
tiops of the Peace Conference was that 1t did not
consider itself bound by secret treaties Of which
it had previously not known the existence
where the provisions of such treaties were
just and reasonable. the United States was willing
to respect them. But the French and Brltish
prime ministers will, of course. not expect the
government of the United States to approve the
execution of the terms of the Treaty of London
except insofar that government may be con-
WINGED that those terms intrinsically just and
consistent with the maintenance of peace and
settled order in Southeastern Europe.
THE absence of American representative
with plenary power is To be regretted and may
have been source OF inconvenience, but the Hresl-
Jent can recall several instances where decisions
in the supreme council were delayed while the
British and French representatives. sought the
views of their governments. and he is convinced
that time would have been saved and many mis-
understandings avoided IL, before actual decisions
had been reached and communicated to- the Italian
and Jugo-Sav delegations. this government had
been given sufficient indication of the fact that
the British and French governments intended radi-
cally depart from the memorandum of Decem-
Der 3.
In conclusion the President desires to express
his concurrence in the view of the British and
French prime ministers that speedy settlement
of the Adriatic question is of urgent Importance.
But he cannot accept just the implied sugges-
tion of his responsibility for the failure to reach
a solution. He has merely adhered to the provi-
sions of a settlement which the French and British
governments recognized as equitable in the joint
memorandum of December 9, and has declined
approve a new settlement negotiated without the
knowledge approval of the American govern
ment. which was unacceptable to one of the inter-
ested governments and which in his opinion
in direct contradiction of the principles for the
defense of which America entered the These
views he has fully explained in his of Feb
ruary 10. and he ventures to express the earnest
hope that the allied governments will find it
Dscessary to decide a course which the American
government in accordance with its reiterated
ment. will be unable to follow. POLK"