New-York tribune., 1920-02-27
President Proposes Italy
and Jugo-Slavia Try to
Reach Agreement or
New Conference Held
Language of Notes
Is Unusually Sharp
Intimations of Inconsis-
tency So Broadly Made
Are Seldom Seen i'm
Diplomatic Documents
By Carter Field

From, The T,Ibune's Washington Bureos
WASHINGTON, Feb. 26.-Stand-
ing firm on his threat" to consider
taking America out Of European af-
fairs, and refusing to join the league
of nations, President Wilson, in
the note sent on Tuesday to Great
Britain and France, repeats his in-
sistence that the new Adriatic set
tement cannot be accepted by this
government.
His solution Of the problem is to
permit Italy and the Jugo-Slavs to
negotiate directly with each other,
with the clear understanding that no
agreement they may reach can ex-
tend beyond their own borders or
include other than their own nation
ais. This last is apparently with "a
view to protectir< Albania from
division into three mandataries, as
is proposed in the Allies Adriatic
settlement.
In the event they should fail to
reach satisfactory agreement the
President proposes that the differ
ences should then be worked out in
new conference among Great Brit
ain, France and the United States.
Text of Notes Made Public
The text of the correspondence,
beginning with the joint memoran-
dunn Of December 9, agreed to by
Britain, France and the United
States. and coming down to the
Presidents note of Tuesday, the
most recent step in the controversy,
was given out tonight by the State
Department.
The language Of the notes, diplo-
mats here commented tonight, is
unusually sharp and the intimations,
particularly of inconsistency, are un-
usually broad for diplomatic corre-
spondence.
President Wilson's first protest
apparently, against tho new Adriatic
settlement, was on January 10, when
note signed by Lansing inquired if it
we're the intention of the British and
French to settle this and the Russian
question without consulting the United
States.
Reply of the Allies
The Allies carefully pointed out
that the original agreement, that OF
December 8, became impossible because
no one wanted Fiume to be separate
state. Both the Italians and Jugo-
Slavs opposed it. The situation, then.
according to the Allies, resolved itself
to this-that failing to work out an
agreement satisfactory to both Italy
and the Jugo- -Slavs, the only course
open to the Allies was to fall back on
the Treaty of London, by which both
Britain and France were bound to Italy.
The President then dispatched his
much discussed note of February 10
containing what is referred to by the
Allies as the threat" to withdraw from
European affairs and withdraw not oulv
the German treaty but the defensive
agreement with France from the
Senate.
In this note he particularly attacked
S"O SA''HS ~ AeAiy oA StIlp OF Ian0
leading down to Fiume as being
against the principles for which Amer
ica had entered the war
The Allied reply, protesting against
Mr. Wilson's threat to Withdraw tho
treaties from the Senate, recalls that
the President had himself confessed at
Paris that the solution could not be
perfect, but they had to do the best they
could They expressed CONSERVATION at
his threat and pointed out that Brit
ain had made no such threat, although
she had disapproved Of the Presidents
violation of the self determination
principle in behalf Of Poland in giving
her 100000 Ruthenians and in giving
Czecho- -Slovakia 100000 German ma
tionals.
The reply also points out that Article
TX OF the league of nations covenants
sets up machinery under which i'm
perfect settlements can be adjusted.
1T has never been the policy Of
either this government or its associates
to invoke the league of nations as a
guarantee that bad settlement shall
not become worse" the President re-
piled.
Will Welcome New Plan, Belief
The official view here tonight "a
that the correspondence is not closed
by any means. Just what reply the
Allies will make to the Presidents ripia
insistence that the present settlement
cannot stand is q matter Of copiecture-
Of course, but there il q feeling that
Britain and France will Welcome th.