Arizona republican., 1920-03-08

ton of the common frontier to Italy and Jugo- Slavia. In this connection, the president desires to reiterate tha, he would gladly approve a mutual agreement between the Italian and Jugo- -Slav governments received with out prejudice to the territorial or other interests of any third nation, but Al banian questions should not be i'm cluded in the proposed joint discussion of Italy and Jugo-Slavia and the presi- dent must reaffirm that he cannot pos sibly approve any plan which assigns to Jugo- -SlaVia in the northern dis tricts of Albania territorial compensa- tion for what she is deprived of else where. Concerning the economic out look for Jugo- -SlaVia in the region or Scutar suggested in the note under reply, the president desires to refer to the memorandum of December 9 as making adequate provisions to meet the needs of Jugo- Slavia
 Cannot Respect London Pact
 Regarding the character and appii- cability of the treaty of London the president is led to speak with less re- serve on account Of the frank closer Vations of the French and British prime ministers. He is unable to find in the 'eXigencies of military strategy sufficient warrant for ex- ercising secrecy with govern ment which was intimately asso- ciated with the signatories of the treaty of London in the gigantic task of defending human freedom and which was being called upon for un- limited assistance and for untold treasure. The definite and well ac- cepted policy of the American govern ment throughout its participation in the deliberations of the peace confer ence was that it did not consider it. T F.-~ it had previously not known the ex istence. Where the provisions of such treaties were just and reasonable. the United States was willing to respect them. But the French and British prime ministers will not. Of course ez- pect the government of the United States to respect the terms or tne treaty of London except insofar as that government may be convinced that those terms are intrinsically, just and are consistent with the maintenance Of peace and settled order in southeastern Europe.
 "The absence of an American repre- sentative with plenary power is to bt regretted. and may have been a source of inconvenience. but the president car recall several instances where decisions in the supreme council were delayed while the British and French repre- sentatives sought the views Of theil
 
 time would have been saved and many misunderstanding avoided if before actual decisions had been reached and communicated 10 the Italian and Jugo- Slav delegations, this government had been given sufficient indica ton of the fact that the British and the French governments intended radically to de- part from the memorandum of Dec 9
 Tn conclusion the president desires to express his concurrence in the view of the British and French prime min isters that a speedy settlement Of the Adriatic question is of urgent import ance. But he can not accept as just the implied suggestion of his responsi- bility for the failure to reach d solu- tion. He has merely adhered to the provisions of a settlement which the French and British governments recoc- nized as equitable in the joint memor- andum of December 9. and has declined to approve d new settlement negotiated without the knowledge or approval or the American government which was unacceptable to one of the interested governments, and which, in his opinion. was in direct contradiction Of the principles for the defense of which America entered the war. These views he has fully explained in his note of February 10 and he ventures to eX- press the earnest hope that all the allied governments will not find it necessary to decide on a course which the American government in ment will be unable to follow"