The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-02-27
LATEST ADRIATIC
NOTE RECEVEDBY
j. S. PRESIDENT
Message From Allied PremierS
DECIDED and Given Wilson
QuickIy-Text Not Made
Public to Allow Study.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27.-The reply
of the British and French premiers on
the Adriatic question was received to-
day at the state department. 1t was
sent to the White House Immediately
after being decoded. t
The reply viii not be made public
until after the president has had an
opportunity TO study it. The reply was
delivered to Ambassador Davis, at Lon
don yesterday
Publication of the previous exchanges
disclosed that President Wilson adhered
in his latest communication to his
original position that unless the Adri-
attic settlement was made on the basis
of the December agreement, to which
the United States was q party, instead
of the London pact, which this country
has declined to acquiesce in, he would
be plac9d in a position where he must
take under serious consideration" the
question of withdrawing the treaty OF
Versailles and the French alliance from
the senate.
With the exception of this last note
the exchanges OIL the subject, includ-
ing the Dec. 8 agreement and the sub
seQuent agreement communicated to
Jugo -Slavia last month by the British
and French premiers, are made public
by the state department.
Holding that the provisions Of the
Jugo- -Slavia would merely continue ''the
old order Of things which brought SO
many evils on the world" President
Wilson, in his first communication, de-
rlared that II such were made effec-
tlye the time had not come s'wheA this
Euverrungnt can entertain = concert oi
| powers, the very existence of which
must depend Wnon a. neas spirit 4ansaAia
| new order" The note added.
4 THE president desires to say that he
must take under serious consideration
| the withdrawal OF the treaty with Ger
many and the agreement between the
| United States and France (the Franco
American, treaty. which are. now before
Prefniers Mllterand, Of France and
Lloyd George, OF Great Britain, in re-
ply stated that changes in opinions and
circumstances had occurred since the
original proposal, to which the United
| States was party wheh drawn, which
| changes evidently were not fully ap-
preciated in the United States.
France and Great Britain, tAe
| premier's note stated. consequently
| "view with CONSERVATION" the threat
| of the United States to withdraw from
| the leaGuv Of nations, Hope is ex-
pressed by the premiefs that the United
| States "will not wreck the whole ma
chinery for dealing with international
| disputes" because the position of the
United States is not accepted in par
| ticular case.
In his last note the president reit-
Grated in an emphatic manner his stand
| from which he asserted there could be
no departure as the course decided
upon by the premiers would be short
| sighted and not in accord with the ter
| rible sacrifices of the entire world
which can be justified and ennobled
i all, - te
| in keeping with the principles fol
whiclI the war was fought"
| The joint memorandum of Deci sub
| scribed to by France Great britain
and, the United States and which(it was
supposed here settled the AdriatiC
question, provided in substance:
Istria was to have a frontier which
while "widely overstepping" the recog-
nzed clinical line between Italy ant
more than 100000 Jugo-Slavs and furth-
er extended eastward to give Italy ter
ritory in the region Of Albona, also in
cluding Jugo- Slavs,
| A buffer state between the Italiar
| territory and Istria and the Serb Croat
Sloyene kingdom containing some 200,
] 900 Jugo- -Slavs as against 10000 1tal
ians, was to be placed under the league
of nations The so-called Assling re-
gion was to be permanently demili
| tarized There was. to be a free stat,
of Fiume under control and for futur,
determination by the league with full
autonomy for the city of Fiume. TIL,
city Zara was to have complete SOW
ereignty under the league and complete
control OF its own affairs. The islanC
of the Pelagosa group, Lissa and thu
small islands west Of It, Lussin ant
| Unie, were to pass to Italy on demil
| tarized status with local autonomy TO
the Slavs in Lissa. Italy was to hav'
a mandate over the Independent stat,
Of Albania under the league. Albanian
frontiers north and east were to b.
i those fixed by the London conference
of 1913, but the south was left 70
negotiation, The city of Valona AM
such hinterand strictly necessary to de
fense and economic development wer
granted to Italy in full sovereignty.