New-York tribune., 1920-02-18
Disruption of Agreement
With France Also Is
Involved in Presidents
Action, Officials Admit
Lansing Episode
Had No Bearing
French and British Aim
to Please d'AnnunziO
Is Held Responsible
By arter ield

From The Tribune's Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, Feb. 17.-Presi-
dent Wilson will consider keeping
the United States out of the league
of nations and pigeonholing the de-
fensive alliance with France if the
reply of Britain and France to his
memorandum on the Adriatic settle
ment is not satisfactory. The reply
probably will be placed in the hands
of the President tomorrow morning.
The Presidents note protesting
against the ultimatum sent the
Jugo-Slavs, forcing them either to
agree to additional transfers of
land leading down to Fiume from
the lstrian peninsula or else accept
the terms of the Treaty of London,
took the position that if this were
done the President would have to
consider the advisability of with
drawing both the treaty of peace
with Germany and the French
treaty from the Senate, where both
are now pending for ratification.
Treaty Definitely Mentioned
The treaty with Germany was
mentioned specifically in the Presi-
ldent's memorandum, the Presi-
dents idea being that the United
States could not guarantee the
territorial integrity" of Italy, un-
der Article X of the league of ma
tions covenant, if the United States
were not consulted in the making of
that boundary. Additional force is
given this point if the boundary is
rearranged by Britain, France and
Italy at variance with the ideas on
that question held by the United
States.
While it was officially disclaimed
that the Presidents note contained
anything in the nature of threat.
it was generally considered that this
was true only in a diplomatic sense.
lnasmuch as the note plainly set
forth what would happen if Mr..
Wilson's demand was not complied
with.
twas expected by officials here TO-
night that the reply of the British and
French would at least he so conciIia
tory IN tone that a loophole could be
found to avoid such drastic stem as
the withdrawal of the treaties. 1t ia
admitted, however. that there is no
expectancy that the Allies will back
down competel ". the idea being that
az best the whole disagreeable situa-
l'on as to tlume is opened up again.
WITH no satisfactory solution in sight
D'Annunzio Held Responsible
A remarkable phase of the situation
revealed by high officials tonight is
that d'Annunzio is the cause of the
whole trouble
mere IS no intention OF giving out
the Presidents note to Britain and
France said very high official. when
urged to request the President to order
the State Department to give out the
ncte. The point is that publication
OF this note in Rome, which would fol-
low It's publication here inevitably,
would result in the Italians holding
mass meetings, singing their local
Star Spangled Banner and a lot more
volunteers slipping over to ioin
q Annunzlo. This has happened every
time there was any publicity to notes
or STATEMENTS attacking ltaly's claims.
ne whole trouble in this case is
that the British and French are trying
to work out some solution not to satis.
fy the Italian government, but to salts
1y dAnnunzlo. Our objection is not
only to the fact that boundaries are
oelhg rearranged without our being
consulted after they had been fixed
with our approval, but to the adiust-
ments themselves. The new adjust
ment gives Italy wedge shaped strin
taperlng down the Adriatic coast until
the narrow end is only the width Of
tne beach, reaching from the base of
Lne lstriah Peninsula, which is the
oase OF the wedge, to Fiume, which is
me point OF the wedge. 1t gives to
Italy, the imr lacable foe of the Con-
tral European peoples as we'll as th,
oerDlahs, q strangle hold on all that
territory' ''iAs
Withdrawal Warming Confirmed
CONTINUATION of the warning that
ene treaties might be withdrawn was
!osaineo positively to-day, despite the
TACT TACT that yesterday both the White
house and State Department were very
nat IN comments that it was not a
threat to withdraw from European
affairs but merely that the United
States would not be a party to the
settlement and would take no part
IN Asriatic affairs At the White
House yesterday it was said the inter
pretation placed on the Presidents
memorandum by the Paris press, to
the effect that it threatened with
drawal from European affairs. was "too
sweeping"
For some unexplained reason thu
government right about faced to-day.
and it was frankly admitted that the
President had served notice he would
consider" Withdrawing the German
treaty, and had actually mentioned the
treaty by name. 1t also was intimated
so broadly that no one had any doubt
that the President threatened to con-
slider withdrawing the French treaty.
In the ahspnca ~