Evening star., 1920-02-27

sions made in the memorandum OF
December 9 could not be accepted.
the President desires to say that he
must take under serious considera-
ton the withdrawal of the treaty
with Germany and the agreement be-
tween the United States and France
(the Franco-American allianre), which
are now before the Senate, and per-
hitting the terms of the European
, settlement to be independently estab-
lished and enforced by the associated
governments"
No Foundation for Assumption.
AIillerand. who had succeeded Gle
menceau as premier of France. and
Lloyd George replied, under date of
February II; saying there was no
+, foundation for the assumption that
the new settlement involves Il capitu-
lation to the Italian point Of view as
opposed to the Jugoslavs. They sum :
med President Wilson's criticisms Of
the new agreement under four points:
| Ihat 1t ceded to Italy the corridor.
that the corridor. with F'iume as a
free city. paved the way for anneXa-
ton to Italy: that the modification of
the Jugoslav-Italian frontier was det-
rimental to Jugoslavia and that it pro
vided for the partition of Albania.
The premierS remarked that Presi-
dent Wilson had ignored the great
advantage conferred on Jugoslavia at
the same time" In the discussions
they had found. they said. that no
body desired the consummatiOe of the
! free state of Fiume," and that 1.-The
net Upshot" of the agreement was to
give Jugoslavia 10000 more Jugo-
! slavs than the original proposal. The
! premiers argued that the guarantees
OF the league of nations were sufii-
! cient to guard against the annexation
| PRESIDENT Wilson feared. and his criti-
! cIsm of Italian domination of the rail-
! they ran1ipd tn NV hn1 - ~
! commercial and not a strategic rail-
! way. and adding that under Presi-
! dent Wilson'S proposals it is COM
manded by Italian guns
DetaliS of the administrator of AL
/ ha MIA. they said, were vet to be elabo
rated. and the "feelings.a future in
terest of the Albanian people" were
to be regarded. The premiers found
d1fhculty in understa nding the pres
ent attitude of the United States and
| hoped their explanations would lead
| to reconsidera ton of President Will.
sons attitude. They disclaimed any
desire ito force settlement unac.
ceptab!e to the President of the United
States. and added they would not at.
tempt to insist on its acceptance until
after hearing his views.
Proposal Fa1en to Ground.
In lengthy argument the pre-
miers declared 'the proposal Of De-
cember 9 had fallen to the ground be
cause nobody now wants to set up
the artificial free state of Fiume.''
and added that the United States
having mo representative at the de-
lherations. caannot be in close touch
with the changes of opinion and cir
Icumstances which have taken place
since its plenipotentiaries returned to
settlement they had no choice but to
rely on the treaty of London, which.
the premiers said. they never had con-
cealed from the President and which
they felt ound to apply. failing 10
secure another agreement. unless it
were to be regarded as scrap Of
paper.
France and Great Britain there
fore said their reply. viewed with
CONSERVATION the threat of the
comfy of nations because it does not
agree with the precise terms of the
Adriatic settlement" EthnologiC
reasons. it was argued. could not be
the only ones taken into account. as
they said. 100000 Germans had been
taken into CzechoSiovakia, and the
American delegation had supported
Including 100000 Ruthenians in Po.
land. The reply added the hope tina,
whatever the final view of the
United States as to the Adriatic set
tlement may be. they will not wreck
|
international disputes . because
their view is not adopted in this par
ticular case. - France and Great
Britain cannot believe that it is the
purpose of the American people to
take a step so far-reaching and terri
bic in it's effects on a ground which
has the appearance of being so in
adequate. This was the conclusion OF
the reply of the French and Britis
premiers on February II.
Maintains Same Position.
President Wilson's note of Februar,
"a. the last diplomatic paper in the rec.
ord. except the reply to it now on the
way to America. begins by saying the
President feels that in the presen,
| circumstances he has no choice bu'
TO maintain the position he has taker
all along" and reiterates the prin.
lciples enunciated on Americas entr,
into the war. He adds: "In the opinion
iof the American government tn,
terms of the peace settlements mus
continue to be foAnulated upon tn.
basis of the prinAipies for which
America entered the war" BY writing
into the treaty of Versailles article y
of the league covenant the Presiden
said, his position was that the pow
ers associated against Germany hat
"forgone all territorial aggression
and all interference with the free po
litical self-determination of the peo
pies of the world" The President.
reply says that while Italy has &C
cepted the substitute project for the
free state of Fiume, the Jugoslav!
have not accepted it. In his view. the
note says. the project to connec
Fiume to Italy by corridor lis quite