The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1920-12-29
D'ANkuNc|0 QUITS
F|UME SURRENDERS
POET-SOLDIER SURRENDERS ALL
POWERS AND PEACE PROM
ISED HIS FOLLOWERS.

Fiume- (By A. P.)-D'Annuncio
early today surrendered all his pow
ers to the Fiume communal council
a conference for arranging cessation
of hostilities between the regular
italian forces and D'Annuncio's le-
gionaries is set for this morning. In
the mean while all military opera
tions have been suspended.
General Cavigila, commander of
the regular Italian forces will ar
range conditions of peace with a dele
cation of the council today
History of D'Annuncio's Coup
Seizure of the port of Fiume in
September 1919 by Gabrielle DAN
nunzio, Italian poet warrior, at the
head of 5000 volunteer grenadiers
and arditi, was the dramitic climax
to controversy reaching back to the
treaty of London, concluded in the
Spring of 1915 between Italy and the
Allied powers, under which Italy en-
tered the war against the Central
powers.
The treaty assigned the part of
Tyrol south of the Brenner Pass, as
well as Trieste, Gorilla, Istria and
section of the Dalmatian literal to
Italy, but gave Fiume, the seaport of
" OIOlld. w u6u Ule WGI
ended, Italian nationalities including
d'Annunzio, demanded that Fiume,
with its preponderant Italian popula-
tion, should be given to Italy, an act
that would have required the revision
of the treaty of London. The Italians,
however, invoked the principle of
"se "self-determination" enunciated by
President Wilson and pointed to the
fact that the population of Fiume,
upon the dissolution of. the Austro-
Hungarian Empire, had proclaimed
through their National Council, the
union of Fiume with Italy.
Crotia, now a part of Jugo-Slavia,
opposed the claim on the ground that
Sussak, an important suburb of FL
ume and part of the city itself, was
overwhelmingly Jugo- Slav In addi-
tion the Crotians charged that where
as Italy already had an excess of val
liable ports, their country and the
adjoining lands needed Fiume as
their only outlet to the sea. This
position won the support Of Presi-
dent Wilson who subsequently de-
nounced by d'Annunzio and his SYM
pathMers as "the only obstacle to the |
realization of 1Itaiy's aspirations
President Wilson's view however,
was shared by the British and
French.
Backed by Italian public opinion,
the Italian delegation to the Paris
Orlando and Foreign Minister Son
nino refused to yield Italy's claims
In April, 1919, the crisis came to a
head when President Wilson threat
ened to withdraw from the confer
ence. He issued a public statement
sustaining the pact of London inso-
far as it related to Fiume Receipts
of the document in Italy precipitated
anti-Wilson outbreaks in
which d'Annunzio took a leading part.
Orlando and Sonnino quit
the Paris coference and returned to
Rome where they were receivd with
wild acclaim by tn people The Itali-
an Chamber of Deputies adopted a
vote of confidence in the Orlando
ministry. Later, however, the two
statesmen returned to Paris at the
invitation of their colleagues and
participated in the negotiations and
The signing of the Austrian peace
treaty
Failure to reach satisfactory So
ution of the Fiume embroglio, how !
ever, was one of the principal causes
If the downfall of the Orlando min
stry on June 10, 1919, and it was
succeeded by the moderate Nitti cab
net, whose selection exasperated the
italian Nationaiists and was the fore
'unner of the d'Annunzio coup d-etat
he following September
Fiume, at the time of the entry of {
he d'Annunzio forces, was under the r
military control of General Pittaluga a
# the Italian army. The General T
lad led strong detachment to the I
of the city to intercept the
INVADERS who had armored automo- S
'iles and were armed with machine a
runs. D'Annunzio met him with the n
alutation II understand you would g
ire upon your brethren? (Bearing e
is breast.) Fire upon me!0 At this, il
was reported, Pittaluga embraced a