Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1920-02-27
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
of international discussion last week
and there was much excited talk in the
world capitals. Premiers Lloyd George,
Millerand and Nitti thought they had
arranged a neat settlement of the
Adriatic trouble and had called on
Jugo-Slavia to accept it, with the al
tentative of having the principles of
the pact of London applied. But they
were reckoning without President Will
son, probably because he seemed to
have withdrawn himself to a great ex-
tent from the discussions over the sub
ject. AS soon as he learned what the
"Big Three" had done, Mr.. Wilson
projected himself into the affair with
q note that tipped Over their apple
cart and brought them to a realization
that he was still TO be considered. He
declared that he cauld not consent to
the solution reached by the premiers
and called attention to the discrepan-
cies between it and the settlement of
the problem agreed upon in December
at the London conference, in which the
United States was represented. Then
he added a postscript that was the
real singer. Despite denials in Wash.
ington. 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 a considerable portion of
the press in the allied countries was
enraged by this note and roundly
abused Mr.. Wilson. but the statesmen
and 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 a reply to Washing
ton which, while it urged the difficulty
of inducing the rival interests to con.
sent to the December solution, was ex
ceedingly conciliatOry in tone and
asked the president to indicate what
practical steps can be taken to carry
out the earlier agreement, under which
Fiume was to be created into a free
state under the League of Nations an(
the principle of self-determination was
to be applied to the Dalmatian coast
The situation is extremely delicate ant
there are not a few who predict tina
the outcome will be another war, will
Italy and J~ugo-Slavia as the contend
ers. From the beginning Mr.. Wilson
has insisted that Jugo-Slavia 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 unfriendliness towart
Italy, but a feeling that she has al
ready enough seaports; and the sym
patty with the new republic of tn
Serbs, Croats and Slovenes is marked
The American government wished t
make public the notes exchanged il
this affair, and took steps to obtain tn
consent Of Great Britain, France an
Italy. This is in accord with the prin
ciple of "open covenants openly al
rived at" which Mr.. Wilson vainl
tried to make effective when he wen
to Paris the first time.
1t is known that the president hold
tSat America, as a co-belligerent in TIL
war, is actively interested in the Sc
tlement of the Adriatic dispute, desp'
the fact that it has not ratified
peace treaty. Also, he holds that
are equally interested in the questi
concerning the breaking up of