Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-02-18
WILL NOT Be bound
BY ACTS OF OTHERS
Bargain Made Without American
Participation Will Not.B
Supported.
TAKES FIRM STAND ON ISSUE
Allies Reply to President Said to
Be Couched in Cautious
Language.
| ny Assoeiatcd Prese I

!,y Associated Press.l
WASHINGTON, Feb 1.-THE allied
supreme council has been informed by
President Wilson. It was disclosed to-
"ay. that II the proposed .Adratic set
tiemcnt. to which the American gov
.rnmcnt is not party, is put into
ioTcc tile United States might have to
consider withdrawing the treaty OF
Nersaii!es from Senate consideration.
The Presidents communication was
not in the nature OF threat In the
gornmon sense of the term. 1t was said
out was merely Statement of a s!tua.
>lon under which the United States
might 6nd itself if asked TO Subscribe
10 agreements in which it had no
was opposed.
Is Not Party TO Agreement.
The explanation was made in Off
cal quarters that the league OF nations
!ns various agreements as 10 boundar-
;es and the like. and that If the United
states became party to tho treaty of
ing to tho enforcement of agreements
70 which it had not given either It's
aDproval or consent.
tnglo- French h-Amcrican treaty and the
,rna,y OF Versailles were considered
concerned and that if situation
arose whero the President would have
70 consider withdrawing the latter he
ing tho former.
An early announcement AT the White
,Sa as an v
IN the Echo de Paris that President
Wilson's communication contained n
s sgeay from G isrsst senas 10 withdraw
This was recognized as erroneous as
o9ar as eeas It zane ,ns i did NOT
come from President Wilson himself,
and it was later explained, that those
Without full and complete information.
Dictated by President.
At first, too, the Presidents COM
mun!cation was referred to as a mem
orandum." and was described as con-
taining only eish, or ten lines. 1t sub
scqucntly was disclosed. however. that
tho communication finally sent was IN
two or three pages. This note, II was
explained. vas prepared from q mem
orandum to Secretary Lansing which
the President dictated and sent to
tho State Department.
Whether The supreme councils re
ply TO thc Presidents note will be
made public has not been decided. The
Presidcu,s communication has been
withheld. some officials taking the
view that they did not wish TO add
possible complication TO the situa-
,ion in Italy or any other country by
giving publicity 20 the exchanges in
advance of an entire agreement be-
tween the principals.
There is no disposition. however. to
Withhold information regarding the
various steps that have been taken
since the original agreement in Paris
secretary Polk, OF the state Depart
irent present, down TO the d!spatch
OF the Presidents note,
Entered Into by Three Powers.
The original agreement arrived at
IA Paris on Deccmbcr 0 was handed
Ii,@s.
conber II. and was described by for
.ncr Premier C,lcmcnccau in the French
Chamber OF Deputies as a joint agree
'nent between Great Britain, France
:.ndp the United states.
Early in January, after the Amer.
lean peacc delegates had returned
isome, and the United States was rep
resented at tho meeting by Am mbasSa-
server. there was a meeting OF inc
supreme council. in which Premier
Lloyd George stated that some modi-
'ications had been made in the orig
inal plan of December 8, and on jan
nary il it was stated that Premier
Nitti. OF Italy. had accepted the re
Nsed plan.
The agreement then was communi-
Gated to Jugo-Slavia in the form OF
an ultimatum.' and while Ambassador
Wallace communicated the fact to the
state Department tho American COY
trnment was not consulted about the
changes. The United States at the
end Of January notified the supreme
council that its position regarding the
matter was unchanged
JuEo-Siays File Protest.
Meantime. the Jugo- slavs protested
against the settlement, and tho. time
allowed them for a final reply was
>, extended. On February 10 the Pres
dcnt's note was dispatched. and in
Ii the entente Premiers were told that
the United states would have to con-
slider what it's position would be IL
the Premiers proceeded to settle the
\driatic question without consulting
when the negotiations on the Adri-
attic question were initiated, 1t was
said, there was an understanding that
all matters relating to this question
should be settled through negotia-
tions between the foreign Offices OF
all OF tho powers represented on the
supreme council at Paris.
In some official quarters 1t was sug-
iescribinc the Presidents note as a
hInme hrga' for MI the situation Which has arisen
ON America instead Of on the supreme
counci1f "whcrc It. belongs"
transfer to Italy Not Acceptable.
while the American notes are with
usaf ,bat the United States never has aban-
doned tho contention that the transfer
to Italy OF the boardwalk" along the
nossossion Of most of Istria and Dalma-
tia would not be acceptable.
SXiDITO BE IN FORM OF BACKDOwN
& ,3gs IBy Universal service.I
LONDON. Feb. 1.-THE allied Su-
nreme Council tonisht officially denied
ehs tha
u * ConiIH IHIed Ton Second Page.5 - q g
Sstp "a 4 4 W.