The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1920-03-12
WILSON UPHOLDS
AMERICAN IDEALS
Presidents Attitude on Sell
Determination Same as in
Drafting ID Points.
SEES ONLY ONE WAY OUT.
Price Powers Must Pay if They Expect
United States to Remain Associ-
ated-If Italy and Jugo-SIavia
Agree America Might Assent.

WashingtOn.-PreS Wilson has
served notice to the world that the
continuance of the United States in the
deliberations of the powers has for its
price the adherence of the entente
governments to principles of equity
and justice rather than of temporary
advantage or expediency. That is the
essence of his two latest notes to the
premiers of Great Britain and France,
made public along with all of the re-
cent correspondence dealing with the
future of Fiume and the adjacent Adri-
attic territory.
The President in effect says America
will abandon the League Of Nations if
the old diplomacy is to obtain. His
exact expression was:
eff, in word, the old order Of things
which brought so many evils on the
world is still to prevail, then the time
is not yet come when this government
can enter concert of powers the very
existence of which must depend upon
new spirit and new order. This gov
ernment can undertake no such grave
responsibility"
Taking the situation created in south
eastern Europe as the convenient and
vivid example, the correspondence ad-
dressed to the powers of Great Britain
and France reveals the Presidents
state of mind as unchanged with re-
gard to the principle of self determina-
ton since he first drafted it into the
Ii cardinal points.
The complete text of the Adriatic
correspondence discloses the fact that
the President has denounced the
agreement, effected without consulting
the United States, between the British
and French as to the disposition of
Fiume and neighboring territory be-
cause it does not square with his prin-
ciples and has threatened to withdraw
the German treaty and the separate
Franco-American alliance from the SEN
ate if that agreement is pressed upon
Jugo-Slavia.
The suggestion is conveyed in the
latest note of the President received in
London and Paris that the powers con-
stituting the council of the League of
Nations might serve as arbitrators be-
tween Italy and Jugo-Slavia, but the
suggestion is not put forward in def
mite language. He offers no substitute
solution for the Adriatic puzzle, but in
sists that any adjustment which Italy
and Jugo- Slavia themselves may agree
upon will be acceptable to the United
States provided "that such an agree
ment is not made on the basis Of COM
pensation elsewhere at the expense of
nationals of third power"
Despite the finality of the Presi-
dents statements and the very evident
earnestness with which they have been
made, there is discernible throughout
the correspondence studiouS avoid
ance of closing the chapter.
President Wilson has clearly put the
next move up to Great Britain and
France, evidently assuming that be-
tween them the modification of Italy
can be accomplished.
The complete correspondence in
cludes all the interchange of notes and
memoranda which have followed the
unratifed agreement of December g.
1919, together with the text of that
agreement. Throughout the whole
course of the correspondence there is
disclosed conflict between the Amer.
lean demand for the strictest possible
adherence to the principle of self de.
termination, accepted by each and
every one of the peace delegations al
Paris as the guiding light of the read
justments of international relation
ships, and so written into the covenant
of the League of Nations, and the ad
mitted yearning of the powers for some
sort of settlement which will quiet
the persistent and apparently waxing
ambitions of the Italian government
for territory as well as for strategic
advantages, not alone of military but
| of an economic sort.