The Washington herald., 1920-02-18

next.
Owing to the nature OF the Amer
lean communication. there is suf-
ficient reason to believe that 1t will
be conciliatory in tone. although
probably necessitating new Amer
ican negotiations on the Italio-Ju-
gosiav subject.
Steps to the Crisis.
The various steps, leading up to
the existing crisis in the relations
between America and the allies, fol-
low in chronological order:
On December .. 1919, the British.
French and Americans signed a
joint note at Paris. agreeing upon
a solution of the Adriatic problem.
Frank Polk. now acting Secretary
OF State, was the signatory for the
United States.
Three days later. December IL, a
memorandum carrying the Anglo
Franco American proposal was pre-
sented to signor scisloja, Italy's
minister. who happened to be in
London at the time.
Clemenceau referred to this allied
agreem mt in a speech before the
| French Chamber on December 90.
He substantially called 1t the joint
answer of America, England and
France to the Itaio-Jugoslav ques-
tion of Fiume.
| On January .. 1920. Lloyd George
referred dto modification" of the
| Joint Anglo Franco A meriCan mem
orandum of December at a meet
ing of the premiers. The "modifi-
cation was news to Ambassador
/ Wallace, who was sitting in at the
meeting as an American reporter"
| The Ambassador proceeded to no
| tify Washington about Lloyd
| Georges change in the December
| agreement.
| Between January Q and January
/ II Lloyd George discussed his new
proposition with Signor Nitti, and
! within five days procured the pre-
mier's acceptance of II as the Ital-
| ian compromise. Concretely II would
give Fiume Itali-n background.
bring the city under the league of
nations and give Italy a territorial
roadway connecting it with Trieste.
On January Il, notwithstanding
Americas queries on the Georgian
I plan and her indicated objection to
| it, the allies ignored the White
House and served their ultimatum
I on the Jugoslavs. simultaneously
| the State Department here was Off
! cially advised of the ultimatum's
dispatch. Jugoslavia was given
/ four days to accept. and warned
| that rejection would mean the i'm
| position of the pact of London.
In the last days of January Wash
ington notified the allies that Amer
lea stood firmly upon the Anglo
lFranco-American agreement of De-
cember. .....- .-s-...s -,..s.
| About two weeks later. February 10.
then Secretary OF State Lansing's
memora ndum, stating Americas posi-
! ton and revealing the possibility Of
American withdrawal from Europe.
went forward.
! President Supports Jugoslavfa.
In the present controversy, Presi-
dent Wilson quite unequivocally sup
ports the Jugoslav side of the case
Indications are that through the State
Department he took up the cudgels
for the Jugoslavs just as soon as
he received a copy of the allied ulti-
matum. Relying upon his co-opera-
tion Jugoslavia has continually
fought for and obtained extensions
of the so-called four-day ultimatum.
JuGoslav statesmen have persist
emily refused to make a choice be-
tween the Italian compromise or the
Pact of London. Jugoslavia appar-
emily has sent out more than one
diplomatic S. o. s., which Washington
laff
for some time have been diplomati-
cally trying to persuade her to accept
the Georgian plan and so advise the
White House. The Jugoslavs, how
ever, have not seemed at all disposed
TO heed the allied arguments and con-
sent to the acceptance which the
allies proposed to use In their effort
to break down American opposition
| The Jugoslav press is naturally
applauding Americas position. and
there is tendency in the English
press to approve It. But both the
Italian and French newspapers are
bitter and violent in their deuncia-
\ tions of the President. There is a
general disposition through the Old
world officialdom to believe that the
President is making a desperate bid
| to come back" Internationally.
However. the opinion is wide
spread that not only questions of
his own health but treaty prospects
in the Senate will influence his sue
4 cess or failure among the allies.
Many believe that if the allied gov
ernments were certain that the SEN
ate would reject the treaty, allied
craftsmanship would be disposed to
| abandon the White House and go
ahead on its own realistic solution"
| of European and Asiatic territorial
problems.
Allied Independence Alleged.
There was 10 way of confirming
unoftcial rumors reaching the Capt.
| tai last night that the allied reply
White House, In the communica-
| tion, Italy. 1t was rumored, sticks
to what she regards as her 'irre-
ducible minimum" and both the
French and the British aliegedIy
uphold her. According to these in
dications, the spirit of the latest
to the Italian compromise but is
suggestive of new allied union and
independence.
But in view of the possible conse-
quences of such a tone, especially as
regards France, It was not easy to
give unquestioning credence to these
rumors AS one diplomatist here
put IT. either allies will seek to
conciliate the President, or they are
SO sure that the Senate is going to
reject the treaty, that they are
abandoning him, just as mice aban-
don a. sinking ship.
Allied Council Makes Denial.
NIL