The Washington herald., 1920-02-21
Presidents Answer on
Jugo-Slav Problem With
Acting Secretary.
PARLIAMENT MAY ACT
British Demand for Over
throw of Sultan Re-
ported Growing.

lent Wilson now has the invitation
under consideration. The allied at
htude toward his reply to their last
Adriatic note will be the moving
factor in his decision.
Meanwhile. the Presidents answer
to the allied communication on the
Jugo-Slav problem is still in the
hands OF Acting Secretary of State
Polk. The Presidential memoran-
dunn on the subject is undergoing
The usual processes of the State De-
9artment before beginning its tele-
graphic journey overseas
Indications are that the note has
about reached the last stage of dip
lomatc expansion and polishing.
The signature of Acting Secretary
Of State Polk will be affixed to it.
There is no reason to believe that
The original memorandum of Mr..
Wilson has undergone any essential
changes. The white House con-
tinues to repudiate the ultimatum
to the Jugo-SIavs and insists on the
enforcement of the spirit Of the An
glo-Franco-American agreement of
December
Question Alleged Extracts
Alleged extracts from the allied
reply to the Presidents earlier COM
munication are printed IN an Ar
gentine newspaper. However, these
are characterized here as Inaccurate
and fragmentary.
Nevertheless. the articles in the
Buenos Ayres journal probably con-
tains some elements of truth Its
- respondent az Rome is very close
80 the Consulta, and the Italian
ernment generally.
ne correspondence from Rome TO
- Nacion shows an unusual spirit
close and friendly cooperation
1a Seen the three allies. The main
~ lts in the reply of the English.
nch and Italian premiers to
- sident Wilson are reported as
ows:
( first-Ths allies answer the ac-
= alton of having prepared n con
Fep tiOn for the annexation of FL
fH'f to Italy, which presupposes bad
f&Ith on the part of Italy, by say
ine that President Wilson is unable
% demonstrate this.
aecond-The Italian petition for
the establishment of territorial con-
tisuity with Fiume is very small
thing compared with the cession of
D4matia. which the whole world
- able to prove by merely examin-
tag the map of Europe.
Third-The allies observe that
zF W
0-hich comprehends the creation of
buffer state, has been rejected
hy the JuEo-Ssavs, and the allied
nations have been unable TO insist
upon Ii.
The Peace of Europe.
Fourth-The strip of territory
necessary to establish the contigui'y
IF Fiume with Italy has not SUN
-ient value to justify procI tina
tiOr in re-estabiishing the peace
% Europe.
Fifth-Italy entered tire wa IN
spired by ideals at a moment at
least as critical as that when the
Emitted States entered. She suffer ell
sacrifices in blood and money in
cCmparably more serious than those
Of the United States.
Sixth-The President. in threqt-
ening to withdraw his sigpatuIe =
{: ON the treaty of Versailles, which
established the security Of Fr1n, G.
graveIy injuries the new French psi
icy for which he invited prCtec-
ton He not only destroys the
value of his first and most Impor-
tant act. but annihilates il abso-
IuteIv, since he shows that ENGAGE
ments contracted in accord with
this policy can be destroyed lightly.
The Case OF Turkey.
Although the allies have shown
a united front on an Adrir C So
luton. they are at diplomatic sixes
ant: sevens about Turkey and the
sultan. The allied premiers are now
holding preliminary conversa ions
on political and economic Questi )r s
connected with the final Turkish
treaty.
Here their paths and interests di-
vide and they are far from the
goal Of agreement England is o2-
posed to a French mandate over
Constantinople, and France to an
English mandate.
On the other hand. England,
France and Italy. especially the lat
ter, are all in opposition to a Greek
mandate Again. none of them IA
yors an Italian mandate, except
Italy.
Through 1919 there was a wide
spread sentiment favorable to an
American mandate, and this was
viewed as one solution Of the Con-
stantinople problem. However, the
reaction of American public opinion
against such a commitment threw
this riddle back to allied diplomacy
for a new answer. ..-.-....-.....
But both the French and English
governments have always favored
the retention of the Sultan at Con-
stantinople. with some measure of
sovereignty. at least. France 81 Is
closely wound up with the Porte's
economics and the Turkish authori--
ties have seldom been inclined to in
tergerr with her, Lord Mpntag.e
and EnEland'S indian party say that
the Sultan's expulsion would kindIe
Eneland's countless colonial mos
Ierns to revolutions and holy wars.
Lord Bryce does not take this
point of view seriously and from
the beginning has taken President
wilson's stand that Constantinople
and its environs should be an inter-
national state. All through the
Peace Conference at Paris. the Eng
ifsh experts On Eastern affairs
shared the American view, making
square Issue with Balfour and other
English government officials.
Owing to their divergent interests.
the allies in the past have always
wished America to sit In during the.
CONTINUED ON FACE THREE