The Washington herald., 1920-05-13
Jugo-Slay. and Italian Dip
lomats Discuss Status at
Secret Conference.
EXPECTED TO AGREE
Premier Nitti Unable to At
tend Because of Cabi-
net Crisis.
wa.hington Herald Public Ledger
9 Service. Special Cable.

wa.hington Herald Public Ledger
9 Service. Special Cable.
Geneva, May 12.-What may be
the final chapter OF the Fiumeisitu-
alton has begun in an embowered
cottage on a hillside near Pallanza.
overlooking the deep blue waters OF
Lake Maggiore. Even more mys-
terry than usually wells the doings
of secret diplomacy has so far sur
rounded the meeting Of the italian
and Jugo-Slav delegates In this
idyllic retreat.
Until the last minute IL seemed
uncertain whether the conference
would take place, and it even was
reported that the Jugo-Slav delega-
tion has mysteriously failed to ar
rive and after having been awaited
in vain at the railroad station by
their Italian hosts The Jugo-Slav
indeed had been delayed but your
correspondent was informed that
they were due in Pallanza today
and that the long postponed Fiume
> conference will begin forthwith.
The chief of the Jugo-Slav dele
cation is NJ. Pachitich. Serbia's vet
eran statesman. Ex-Premier Pach-
itch was taking a much needed rest
at Evian, but. in spite of i'll health
he felt bound to place his unriv-
allied diplomatic experience and
prestige at his country's disposal in
the settlement of a question which
his countrymen regard as "a matter
Of life and death"
Crisis Detains Nitti.
Premier Nitti is detained in Rome
by the menace of a cabinet crisis,
caused by the Catholic partys
growing distrust In what Is termed
his pro-Bolshevist policy" Italy's
chief representative at the confer
ence is therefore her foreign minis
ter. Signor Scialova. 1t. of &ourse,
Is impossible to predict the outcome
of the conference with certainty,
but it undoubtedly opens under fav-
orable auspices. L.
Italians and Jugo-Slavs are ami
mated with a sincere desire to ar
rive at n frank and satisfactory
agreement. excluding future con-
hicts about Fiume and establishing
peace and goodwill between the
two nations. Your CORRESPONDENT
had occasion to talk with both the
Jugo-Slav and Italian diplomats, in
close touch with the delegations al
Pailanza- If an agreement is con-
cluded. it will necessarily be in the
nature Of a compromise.
The Jugo-Slav proposal is to
make Fiume a free port under
italian sovereignty. The Jugo.
Slavs are willing to make that con-
cession to Italy's national aspira-
tions, but they want an absolute
guarantee that Fiume will never be
closed to them as a trade outlet.
JugO-SIaSia Needs Fiume.
'Jugo-slavia, without the port OF
Fiume. is like a man without lungs
and will be choked to DEATH" they
declare. Italians also are not blind
to the fact that it is for their inter-
ests to promote Fumes develop
ment as a port. Italy has become
largely an Industrial country and
she needs products and raw mate
rails which Jugo-Slavia wishes to
export. while on the other hand
there is a good market in Jugo-
Slavia for Italian manufactures.
The advantages of a friendly ar
rangement by means of which all
the trade can pass freely through
Fiume are obvious. Thus the con-
ference at Pallanza opens with
what may be truly described as op-
timistic both sides In any case
it reveals the tremendous changes
which the European mentality is
undergoing in these times of crisis,
for even few months ago nobody
would have ventured to predict that
the Italians and Jugo-Slavs would
ever meet to solve the Fiume prob
lem in frank spirit of conciliation.