The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-02-27

"to invite strife out of which annexa-
 tion might issue" the Presidents note
 says that while "three-fold division
 of Albania in the British agreement might be most acceptable to the Jugo-
 Slav government" he is just as viz
 orously opposed to injuring the AL
 banian people for the benefit of Jugo- slavia" as he is to 'injuring the Jugo-
 Slsv people for the benefit of Italy"
 Agreements regulating the Italian
 northern frontier, the President argues
 already depart from the treaty of Lon
 don line and were made with the un-
 derstanding that negotiations were
 proceeding on quite new basis"
 Tt has been no secret" says the
 Presidents reply, that the parties to
 the treaty do not themselves now de-
 sire it and that they have thus far
 refrained from putting it's provisions
 into effect. For nearly eight
 months discussion of the Adriatic
 problem has proceeded on the assump-
 ton that a better basis for an under
 standing could be found than those
 provided by tiye treaty of Iondon.'
 ITALY HAS ACCEPTED
 Italy already has accepted. the Presi- dent said, specific settlements which
 would be upset if the treaty were to be applied now. Bringing in the treaty of London as an obligatorial alternative, |, the Presidents note said, "came as surprise" because the American govern ment regarded the agreement of Decem-
 Der as superseding it. The course to fall back on the treaty of London, 1t said, was followed without any at l tempt to seek ths views of this govern rnent.''
 In conclusion, tho President replies to the British and French reference to the inclusion of Germans In Czecho-Slovakia and Ruthenes in Poland, saying: This is line of reasoning which the Italian representatives have advanced during the course of the negotiations, but which the British and French have hitherto found themselves unable to &C., cept.
 There were cases where, for sufficient geographical and economic reasons, slight Reflections of the ethnographical frontier were sanctioned by the conference, and the American government believes that | it Italy would consent to apply the same i principles in Istria and Dalmatia. the Adriatic question would not exist" Then. I in conclusion, referring to Italy's sacri- 1 fees, advanced in the correspondence as | reason for her claims, the Presidents re- l ply says:
 Such considerations cannot be made 1 the reason for unjust settlements. which will be provocative of future wars. A course thus determined would be short sided and not in accord with the ter I rible sacrifices of the entire world which | can be justified and ennobled only by | leading finally to settlements in keeping with the principles for which the war ] was fought
 1 The President asks that the prime min isters of France. Great Britain and Italy will read his determination in the Adri atic matter in the light of these princi- l ples and settlements and will realize that standing upon such foundation of principle. he must of necessity maintain the position at which he arrived after IT months of earnest consideration. He con- fidently counts upon their cooperation
 in this effort on his part to maintain for the allied and associated powers that di-
 rection of affairs which was initiated 1 over the victory of Germany and the peace conference at Paris.