The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1920-02-26
President Wilson Blocks Plan OF
the PremierS to Settle the
AdriatiC Problem.
HIS PROTEST is EFFECTIVE
Threatens Withdrawal OF America
From Peace Treaty-Decision Is
Reached Concerning Turkey
Compromise Railway Bill
Before Congress-SaIe OF
Former German Liners
is EnJoined.
BY EDWARD w. PIcKARD.

The Adriatic In general and Fiume
IN particular provided the main topic
VI international discussion last week
| and there was much excited talk in the
world capitals. Premiers Lloyd George
! Millerand and Nitti thought they had
| arranged neat settlement of the
! AdrlatiC trouble and had called on
Jugo.Slavia 10 accept it, with the al
| tentative Of having the principles Of
the pact Of London applied. But they
| were reckoning without President VIII
sou, probably because he seemed to
have withdrawn himself to a great ex-
| tent from the discussions over the sub
| icCt. As soon as he learned what the
Big Three" had done, Mr. Wilson
! projected himself into the affair with
a note that tipped over their apple
| cart and brought them TO a realization
that he was still TO be considered. He
declared that ne cauld not consent to
the solution reached by the premiers
and called attention to the discrepan-
| cics between II and the settlement of
the problem agreed upon in December
NJ the London conference in which the
United States was represented. Then
he added a postscript that was the
real singer Despite deniaIs in Wash
ingt0n, it Is quite certain that in this
postscript Mr.. Wilson told the pre-.
miers that unless they receded from
their position he would take into seri-
Gus consideration the withdrawal Of
the United States from the treaty Of
Versailles and from the treaty be-
tween the United States and France.
OF course II considerable portion Of
the press in the allied countries was
enraged by this note and roundly
abused Mr. Wilson. but the statesmen
ana others well informed recognized
the SoundneSs of his position and the
fact that the withdrawal OF America
from further concern in the peace set
Element would be disastrous. The al
lied council sent reply to Washing
ton which, while II urged the difficulty
Of inducing the rival interests to con-
sent 10 the December solution, was eX-
ccedngly conciliatory In tone and
asked the president TO indicate what
practical steps can be taken TO carry
orH the earlier agreement under which
Fumc was TO be created into free
state under the League Of Nations and
the principle or sclf-dotermnntion was
lo be- applied TO the Dalmatian coast
The situation is extremely delicate ana
there are not few who predict that
the outcome will be another war, with
Italy and Jugo-Slayia rs the contend
crS. From the beginning Mr.. Wilson
has insisted that ugo-Slavla should
not be shut Off from the sea by Italian
territory, and In this country at least,
this contention Is generally supported.
There is no unfricndlncss toward
Italy. but feeling that she has al.
ready enough seapOrts; ana the SYM
pathy with the new republic Of the
Serbs, Croats and Slovenes is marked
The American government wished to
make public the notes exchanged in
this affair, and took steps to obtain the
consent of Great Britain France and
| Italy. This is IN accord with the prin-
ciple Of "oper covenants openly ar
rived at" which MIR. Wilson vainly
tried to make effective when he went
20 Paris the first time.