Evening star., 1920-02-28
PRESIDENT TO SEND
REPLYT0PREM|ERS
EARLY NEXT WEEK
Withdrawal of December
Agreement Will Have Little
Effect on Negotiations.
JUG0SLAVIA MUST NOT BE
COERCED IN settlement

C0ERCED IN settlement
Allied Statesmen Say Treaty of
London Must Be Applied Unless
There Is Voluntary Adjustment.
| The British and French premiers
reply to President Wilson on the
Adriatic question was read today by
the President. and he is expected 10
send his reply early next week.
! Officials were not disposed to dis
cuss the latest note from London.
but it was said that the Withdrawal
of the agreement OF December ,
pending an attempt by Italy and
Jugoslavia to reach a satisfactory
agreement among themselves. as pro
| posed by the premiers, could have
little effect on the ultimate outcome
of the negotiations
| The principle enunciated in that
| agreement will remain the same, II
/ government will continue to adhere
| TO it's original position that a settle.
! ment to which JugoslaNia objected
was not to be forced on that country.
Adheres to Old stand.
| Publication of the previous Exchanges
! disclosed that President wilson al
hered in his latest communication to the
| original position that unless the Adriatic
settlement was made on the basis OF the
December agreement. to which the Unit
| ed States was a party. instead OF the
London pact. which this country has
declined to acquiesce in. he would De
placed in q position where he must
take under serious consideration" the
question of Withdrawing the treaty OF
Versailles and the French alliance from
the Senate.
What appeared to be at least a semi
official summary OF the premiers tn no,e
| was received in press dispatches from
London only a short time after the offi-
cial text had reached the State De-
partment and before it had been laid
before the President.
Still Cling to Treaty.
It was noted from the summary OF
| the premiers' note as transmitted in the
press dispatches that Great Britain ana
France had not agreed to the with
drawal Of the treaty Of London. hold.
| ing to its terms as last resort should
ali efforts at voluntary agreement fail
President Wilson has made IL clear
| that he cannot accept the treaty OF
London as q basis for settlement. In
/ fact. he has stated with degree OF
sssaS,sE ssSsE ts.s rs sss hm'. 4, 's to
which the American government 10
Under the premisrs' proposal. how
csrry out TIC ysfma 81 this treaty
untii another attempt mad been made
| BY the United States, Great Britain
and France to arrive at 4 settlement
| should the proposed negotiations b,
| tween Italy and Jugoslavia come TO
| naught-
AIhanfan stand PIesses.
The premiefs agreement with
President Wilson's views with regard
/, to the future. Of the Albanian people
Albanian quarters here. Constantine
A. Checkrezi, the ofncial Albanian
representative previously had issued
a statement declaring that the entire
nnnsda niSanrsn by nAiOe tSe President.s stand
against the proposed partition OF Al
bania- .s .,.
the first authoritative act in defense
of this helpless state taken by dis
Interested power during more than
one year, in which her fate has been
hanging in the balance"
Answer Of Pre1sern.
LONDON. February 27.-The reply
made by Premiers Lloyd George and
Millerand to President Wilson's latest
communication on the Adriatic Ques-
tion repeats the assurance that they
"neyer had the intention OF making
definite settlement without obtaining
the views of the United States govern
ment-"
The reply, which is dated February
Is, states that the absence OF an
American representative had proved
in practice an almost insurmountable
obstacle to the success of the negoeia-
tions.
The premiers observe as a fact of
the greatest importance that Presi-
dent Wilson expresses a willingness
to accept any settlement mutually
agreeable to Italy and Jugoslavia re-
9arding their common frontier in the
Fiume region. provided such agree
ment is not made on the basis of COM
pensation elsewhere at the expense
Of nationals of a third power"
Ideal Way of Settlement.
This, the premiers agree. would be
an ideal way of settling the question
and they express Willingness to do
their utmost to reach a settlement by
this road In order to facilitate this
process they are ready to withdraw
January 20.
The prerniers. therefore. cordially
invite the President to join them in 4
formal proposal to the Italian and
Jugoslay governments to negotiate an
agreement on the OASIS OF WltnQTdWal
of all previous proposals.
II however, this attempt should
proye unsuccessful. the French and
British premiers agree that the United
States, Great Britain and France
should once more consider the Ques-
zion in common, with the view Of ar
riyinc at concrete proposals.
The premiers declare they cannot
disguise that should no voluntary SET
Element of the Adriatic problem be
attained the treaty of London would
hecome the only valid alternative as
far as they are concerned.
italy has co-operated loyalty. they
cav in trying to find substitute for
the pact, and the allies hope they will
succeed in finding such substitute.
views Of British Press.
LONDON. February 2s.-Correspond
ence between the allied premiers and
President Wilson relative to Adriatic
settlement is given much prominence
in this mornings London newspapers.
but several refrain from comment
ing on the situation.
$50 ends the attempt o. Premiers
Iloyd George and C1emenceau to CO.
erce the JuGoslavs." says the Times,
which throughout has supported Pres
ident Wilson. Neither OF them has
reason to be proud of his effort to
bully this small people. which Mr..
Wilson has virtually forced them to
dron. MI. Lloyd George and Premier
Milierand have rushed into the true
nath into which the American Presi-
dent has driven them. We imagine
he will continue to shepherd them
along it. perhaps with a somewhat
grim smile"
Mr Lloya Gsorss =. and rsL, N; MiI'era1s rand
"es.,L ainrerifvs in concadinR Mr.