Evening star., 1920-02-27


impracticable.' and he refers to the
declaration OF December > on t1at
subject. Reiterating hts belief that
to join Fiume to Italian territory
would be Ito invite strife out OF which
annexation might ISSUE" the Presi-
dents note says that while, sthe
threefold division of Albania In the
British agreement might be most &C.
ceptable to the Jugoslav government
ne is Just as vigorously opposed to
inJuring the Albanian people for the
benefit Of Jugoslavfar as hi IL .to in
juring the Jugoslav people for IN.
neneht of Italy" Agreements reru
latinE the Italian northern fronfier
the President argues. already depart
from the treaty OF London line and
were made with the underst anding
that negotiations were proceeding on
quite new basis
! Befter Bnsis Hoped Fer,
/ IT has been no secret" saws tho
Iresidents reply that the pa rites 10
! s;n ".aty ala not themselves now de-
| sire IL and that they have thus f.r
reIralned from putting its provision.
! INTO effect. For nearly eivb,
! months discussion of the tdriatic
proplem mas proceeded on the assump
tioh mat a better basis for an under
provided by the treaty of London.
italy already has accepted, the Pres-
ident said. specific settlements which
| would be upset il the treaty were TO
| pc applied now. Bringing in the
| treaty or London as an obligatorial
alternative, the Presidents note said
| came as a surprise because the
american government regarded the
| agreement OF December 9 as super
seding 1t. The course to fall hack on
the treaty of London. it said, IVA.
| followed without any attempt 10 seek
/ III
In conclusion. the President replies
70 the British and French reference
10 the inclusion of Germans in Czecho-
siovakia and Ruthenes In Poland.
saving: This is a line of reasoning
! which the Italian representatiyas
have advanced during the course Of
the negotiations. but which the Brit
ish and French have hitherto found
themselves unable to accept. There
were cases where. for sufficient geo
gra phlcal and economic reasons. slight
def1ections of the ethnogra phical from
tier were sanctioned by the confer
ence. and the American government t
believes that IL Italy would consent
to apply the same principles in Istria
and Dalmatia the Adriatic question
would not exist" Then. in conclusion.
referring to Italy's sacrifices, ad :
vanced in the correspondence as rea-
son for her claims, the Presidents re-
ply says:
Such consideration cannot be made
the reason for unjust settlements s
which will be provocative Of future
wars. a course thus determined would
be shortsighted and not In accord with
the terrible sacrifices Of the entire
| world. which can be justified and en-
nobled only by leading finally to set
Elements in keeping with the prin-
ciples for which the war was fought.
The President asks that the prime
ministers of France. Great Britain and
Italy will read his determination in
! the Adriatic matter in the light of
these principles and settlements and
| will realize that standing upon such
a foundation Of principle he must Of
necessity maintain the position which
he arrived at after months of earnest
consideration. He confidently count q
upon their cooperation in this effort
on Ms part to maintain for the allied
and associated powers that direction
Of affairs which was initiated over
the victory of Germany and the con-
ference at Paris" -,