Evening star., 1920-02-29
BY NEWBOLD MOVES.

~HE principal interest in a week where
all OF the news was exceptionally alb
sorbing centers about the headlines
dealing with foreign Affairs. The
Adriatic issue took form as q clearly defined
subject for popular consideration the
suit of the publication Of the diplomatic cor
respondence on the subject between this coun-
try. France and Great Britain. The Russian
problem took an interesting twist early in
the week when it announced that the
allied supreme council had decided to decline
to deal with soviet Russia for the present.
but almost before this news had been assm-
i1ated came the story that a peace pro-
posal had been made to the United States by
Lenin AS concerning the treaty with Turkey
it was made known that all points have been
settled in principle by the supreme council.
but many details remain to be arranged.
Briefly summarizing the text of the Adri-
attic correspondence to date. it seems that
upon February 10 the President, in his initial
protest to France and Great Britain. took his
position as follows: The provisions Of the
agreement sent by the allies to Jugosavia
would merely continue 1.-The old order of
things which brought many evils to the
world Should that agreement, reached with
out consulting the United States. be made ef-
>-rtve the entire spirit of the concert OF
powers would be violated. and then the
partially veiled threat to withdraw the
treaty from the Senate if the new agreement
were insisted upon.
The reply from Premiers Millerand ~nd
Lloyd George. after considerable argument
relative to the circumstances under which the
new agreement was reached expressed the
hope that the United States will not wreck
the whole machinery for dealing with inter-
national disputes" because the position of the
United States is not accepted in a particular
case. The last note of the President. sent
February "a. while emphaticaly insisting
that the agreement recently reached between
England. France and Italy be discarded, Of
fered the necessary loophole.
The United States, he declared, would ac-
cept any solution Of the controversy which
the two most interested parties-Italy and
Jugoslayia-may reach. provided the inter-
ests Of Albania are not prejudiced. Within
twenty-four hours from the time when this
message was received in London the official
Anglo French reply its way to the
White House. The loophole had suf1ced. The
premiers cordially invite the President to join
them in formal proposal to Italy and Jugo-
slavia to negotiate agreement the basis
of the withdrawal Of all previous proposals.
The new peace proposal from soviet Russia
to the United States, japan and Rumania
will receive consideration from the Amer
ican government. according to announcement
made at the state department DlHeflng IN
material aspect from twenty previous boil
sheviki peace proposals, the offer was
garded generally as an effort to further soviet
propaganda throughout the world The ap-
parently unofficial report OF further offer
to the great powers. whereby recognition and
peace would be met by the establishment Of
democratic principles within Russia, is still
another story. II the offer is authentic, the
natural reply. according to officials here, would
be that Russia had best first apply the prin-
ciples indicated and then call again.
X + X
In connection with the controversy to
whether Turkey is to be allowed to retain
any Of her former European holdings. it is
interesting to note that during a recent storm
the famous tree named ''El Butini' in the
garden of Gethsemane was blown down. Ac-
cording to Turkish tradition. this tree would
fall whens the Turkish empire fell Incident
ally, the proverb about the i'll wind may be all
right, but England. warned BY her secretary
of state for India that non-interference with
the seat Of the caliphate is indispensable to
the peace Of India, IL progressing very eau