The Raymer enterprise., 1920-02-26
By EoWARp WI. PIcKARp.


The Adriatlc 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 Nltti thought they had
arranged 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 VIII
son. probably because he seemed to
have withdrawn himself to a great ex-
tent from the discussions over the SUBJ
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 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 1t 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. 1t 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 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
tlement would be disastrous. The al
lied council sent 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 and
the principle of self-determInation was
1, to be applied to the Dslmatian coast.
The situation Is extremely delicate and
there are not few who predict that
the outcome will be another war, with
Italy and Jugo-Slavia as the contend
exS~ From the beginning Mr.. Wilson
Z h4 Insisted that Jugo-Slavla should
not be shut of from the sea by Italian
territory, and In this country. at least,
this contention Is generally supported.
There is no unfriendllness toward
Italy. but feeling that she has al
ready enough seaports; and the SYM
pathy with the new republic Of the
Serbs, Croats and Slovenes is marked.
The American government wished to
make public the notes exchanged In
this affair. and took steps to obtain the
consent of Great Britain. France and
Italy. This Is In accord with the prin-
ciple Of "open covenants openly ar
rived at" which Mr.. Wilson va,nly
tried to make effective when he went
to Paris the first time.
It IL known that the president holds
that America. as co-belligerent in the
war, is actively interested in the SET
tiement Of the Adriatic dispute. despite
the fact that 1t has not ratified the
peace treaty. Also. he holds that we
are equally interested in the questions
concerning the breaking ur Of the