The Washington herald., 1920-02-29
JOOSEDEVISED
IBY2ALLIESTO
! SNARE WILSON
President Suspicious of
Plan to Abandon Decem-
Der Adriatic Pact.
FRANCE IN TIGHT PLACE
Breckenridge Criticises At
titude of Administration
Toward Fiume.

allies have made diplomatic moose
:or President Wilson Indications.
However, are that he viii not walk
nto it
Let the three Of US propose direct
Negotiations to Italy and Jugo-
Sisvia- This Is the suggestion Pre-
niers Lloyd George and Millerand
make to him The President has no
resent and had no past objection TO
this proposition In fact, il accepts
the first part OF his own recently
proposed solution
But the White House views the
second step. pressed by the two
Ministers, with some suspicion Inn
Mediate abandonment of December's
.nglo-Franco-American agreement
urged This allegedly could prof.
dice any Italo-Jugo-Slav confer
.nce and almost assure its failure
,dr. Wilson had calculated on the
possibility of an ltalo-Jugo-Slav
Disagreement He had advocated.
IN such an event, the general ac-
ceptance of the December decision. d.
Dilemma for President.
The allies have cleverly turned the
president's last proposal into di-
emma against him They plainly
i'm at the removal Of the Decem-
agreement which is the prop
of his diplomatic position At the
same time. the pact of London is
bIuntIy indicated as the last resort
or solutions of voluntarily "un-
aolvable problems" With carefully
'aited nets, the allies are trying to
atch all the diplomatic advantages
= the present situation
No official or authoritative comment
n the last allied communication
,uld be CLEANED from American
,ources yeserday.: 1t is possible that
he note will be made public at Lon
don before it's publication here. But
ADMINISTRATION circles predict that
answering it the Pres. dent win
dick to the spirit of his December
and. England's reservations un-
,ubtedly provide her with a loop
lie of escape from that agreement.
1t France, it is officially argued
ere, should be bound by it's essen
ais. at least.
There is a good deal of sugges-
in the repeated reference OF
sland and France to the pact OF
ndon. For it realizes treaty set
ments not only in the Adriatic
also in the Near East. opposed
the President. Many think that
allies wish only to wear down
tain Adriatic opposition on Mr..
lson's part by the continual wav-
: of the pact. Others, however.
ieve that there is something far
re positive and extended in the
led action. They recall that Eng
d and France fundamentally re-
led the Presidents past. requests
< consider the pact as a dead and
ried document.
Breckinridge Versus President
Henry Breckenridge. former As
tant Secretary of War, takes en-
Itic issue with the Presidents
itude toward Fiume. Speaking
a private citizen, he alleges that
esent Presidential diplomacy is
1angering the international pres
of the United States. His
Itement given to the press has in
'esting background, since he was
1pointed to his former post by
~esident Wilson himself and has
en- life long Democrat.
DIR. Breckenridge served as As
slant Secretary of War under
ndley NJ. Garrison from 1913 TO
Is. He resigned in sympathy with
IT. Garrison when the latter gave
his portfolio. owing to the di-
Urgency of views between the
esident and himself What is
significance OF Fiume? Mr..
eckenridge now asks. 1T is the
gnal of a moral bankruptcy" he
swers. 1T is the last moral asset
to be realized out of the wreck
the journey of the President to
rsailles." Continuing. he adds:
Fiume Is the last screen of
mouhage still standing before the
nowness and emptiness of the
'st astounding escape of our dip
natic history. The damage to the
'ividual Is irretrievable and the
EIsequerce to his country is not
ht No individual, no official:
vever exalted in power, can be
zen by the world to be America.
Ierwtse our international stand
would be entirely undesirable.
Criticises "wiIson Line,
'Ffume is valuable criterion.
len understood it is the Rosetta
me by which one reads an entire
'itical philosophy. IL such a term
a be applied without exaggera-
n II America fundamentally Is a
arisee and q bully, then Fiume
its opportunity, the opportunity
divert perhaps the attention of
world from the breakdown of
foreign policy. presumed to be
led upon high morality, by max
a last ditch fight on the moral
ne Of protecting the right of the
go-Slay to an outlet on the
friatic.
But Is IL of the spirit of America
bring to bear its mighty eco
mic power to coerce Italy into
ng its bidding, Immediately aft
America. through its seIf-ap-
.Inted and sole representative.
= failed on an issue of far more
Iuity In the spoliation of our
:. China? There Is no more
son for a Wilson Line be-
en- Italy and Jugo-Slavia than
re is for an Emmanuel line or
ado limo between Mexico and
United States. The policy that
I'D have America draw a "wiI-
line" on the shores of the
attic destroys the moral foun-
.on of the Monroe docfrine