The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1920-02-27

'uary II. the president thought was
PROOF that Italy would receive very
positive advantages"
President Wilson pointed out that
while the British and Ffench gov
ernments In the agreement OF De
cember ., concurredfin the view that
a corridor for Fiufne ran counter
TO every consideration of geogrvl-
ply. economies and territorial con-
venience" they agreed to II by
memorandum OF January II. and
that whereas Italys demand for the
annexation of all Istria had been re-.
Jected In the FORMER agreement ION
the solid ground that neither strate-
gic nor economic considerations
could Justify such annexation" the
agreement of January IA provided
for this unjust and inexpedient an
nexation of all istria."
Gives Italy Control.
! President wilson snid that whereas
the agreements of December Q cx-
cluded every form OF Italian sovor-
eighty over Ftume, he could not
avoid the conclusion" that the
agreement OF January IA "opens the
way for Italian control of Fumes
foreign affairs" The president said
he felt the original agreement gave
proper protection TO the railway con-
Meeting Fiume with the interior. but
that the agreement of January IA,
esta hlished Italy 'in dominating mil
itary positions close to the railroad
'at a number OF critical points" The
new agreement, his notes said. par
tittons the Albanian people among
three different alien powers" while
the original agreement preserved It's
unity 'in large measure"
A II IA
idents note, negotiated without the
knowledge or approval of tho
American government, changed the
whole face Of the whole Adriatic set
tlement, and, In the eyes of this gov
ernment render Il unworkable and
rob It of that measure OF justice
which is essential IL this government
is to cooperate in, maintaining It's
terms"
That the Jugo-Slavs might feel
forced to accept It rather than the
treaty OF London. the president said,
would not alter the conviction of this
government that 1t cannot give It's
assent to a settlement which both in
the terms of its provisions and in the
methods OF its endorsement consti-
tutes q positive denial of the princi-
pies for which America entered the
war"
"Italy's unjust demands" said the
presidents note, "have been CON
Idemned by the French and British
governments in terms no less severe
! than those employed by the Ameri-
can government 81. while there Us
thus substantial agreement as to the
injustice and inexpedience or Italy's
claims there is n difference OF opin-
ion as To how firmly Italy's friends
should resist her importunate de-
mands for allen territories to which
she can present no valid title"
The American government, the
presidents note said, feels that II
cannot sacrifice the principles for
which II entered the war to crafty
the improper ambitions of one of its
associates, or to purchase q tenn
pora1y appearance of calm in the
Adrtatio at the price of u future
world conflagration.
1T is unwilling to recognize either
an unjust settlement based on
secret treaty, the terms OF which are
Inconsistent with the now world con-
ditions, or an unjust settlement ar
rived at by employing that secret
treaty as an instrument OF coercion
the Adriaic issue as 1t now
presents itself raises the fundamen-
tai question as to whether the Amer
I
cooperate with its European as
sistants in the great work of main
tanning the peace of the world by re-
moving the primary causes of war
If substantIat~ agreement on
what Is just and reasonable is not to
determine international issues: If the
country possessing the most en-
durance in pressing it's demands
rather than the country armed with
/ Ia OF
= the powers; If forcible seizure of
coveted areas is to be permitted and
condoned and is to receive ultimate
/ justification by creating a situation
so difficult that decision favorable
! to the aggressor is deemed a practi-
/ cal necessity; II deliberately melted
ambition Is, under the name of ma
/ tional sentiment to be rewarded at
the expense Of the small and weak;
| II. In a 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 gov
ernment can enter a concert OF pow
ers the very existence of which must
depend upon a new spirit and q new
order"
The president wound UP his note
by saving that IL the maximum con
cessions made in the memorandum
of December could not be accepted
"the president desires to say that
ne must take under serious consid
Grafton the withdrawal of the treaty
with Germany and the agreement
between the United States and
France. Che Franco American al
liance,) Which are now before the
senate and permitting the terms Of
the European settlement TO be in
dependently established and en-
forced by the associated govern
ments.
Millerand. who succeeded Cle.nen-
ceau as premier OF France. and
Lloyd George replied under date OF
February II, saying there was mo
foundation for the assumption that
the new settlement involves "a capi-
tulation to the italian point OF view
as opposed to the Jugo-Slavs," They
summed up President Wilson's criti-
cisms of the new agreement under
four points. That 1t ceded Italy the
corridor, that the corridor with
Fiume as a free city paved the way
for annexation to Italy. that the
modification of the Jugo-Slav Ital-
ian frontier was detrimental to Jugo-
Slavia. and that il provided for tho
. ! 90