Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1920-12-30

THE ending of the Fiume fiasco
Il makes worth while the telling Of
the events that led up to its seizure
by D'Annunzio and briefly the ex-
periences through which the city has
passed since its occupation by the
Italian poet-warrior.
Seizure of the port of Fiume In
September, 1919, by Gabrielle dan
nunzio, at the head of 5000 volun-
teer grenadiers and arditi, was the
dramatic climax to a controversy
reaching back TO the Treaty of Lon
don concluded in spring of 1915 be-
tween Italy and the Allied powers,
under which Italy entered the war
against the Central Powers.
The treaty assigned the part of
Tyrol south of the Bremen Pass, as
well as Triest, Gorilla, Istria and a
section of the Dalmatian literal to
Italy, but gave Fiume, the seaport
of Hungary, to Croatia. When the
war ended, Italian nationalists, in
GLIDING d'Annunzio, demanded that
tlume, with its preponderant Italian
population, should be given to Italy,
an act that would have required the
revision og the treaty of London. The
Italians, however, invoked the prin-
ciple of 'self-determination' enun-
ciated by President Wilson and point
ed to the fact that the population
of Fiume, upon the dissolution of the
AustrO-Hungarian empire, had pro-
claimed through their National Coun-
ell the union of Fiume with Italy.
Croatia, now a part of Jugo-
Slavia, opposed the claim on the
ground that Sussak, an important
suburb of Fiume and part of the
city itself, was overwhelmingly
Jugo-Slav. In addition the Croat-
ians charged that, whereas Italy al
ready had an excess of valuable
ports, their country and the adjoin-
ing lands needed Fiume as their on
ly outlet to the sea. This position
won the support of President Wilson
who was subsequently, denounced
by d'Annunzio and his sympathizers
| as "the only obstacle to the realiza,
ton of ltaly's aspirations. Presi-
dent Wilson's view, however, was
shared by the British and French.
Backed by Italian public opinion,
, the Italian delegation to the Paris
|, Peace Conference, headed by Pre-
! mier Orlando and oFreign Minister
Sonnino refused to yield Italy's
claims. In April, 1919, the crisis
came to a head when President Will
l son threatened to- withdraw from
t the conference. He issued a public
a statement sustaining the pact of Lon,
don insofar as it related to Fiume
Receipts of the document in Italy
Tod
outbreaks in which d'Annunzio tool
leading part. Meanwhile. Orlando
: and Sonnino quit the Paris confer
e ence and returned to Rome whert
n they were received with wild &C
claim by the people. The Italian
Chamber of Deputies adopted a vot
a of confidence in the Orlando minis
II try. Later, however, the two states
{men returned to Paris at the invita-
ton of thehN colleagues and partici
pated in the negotiations and tn
signing of the Austrian peace treaty
Failure to reach a satisfactory Sc
luton of the Fiume embroglio, how
ever, was one of the principal eau:
:, es Of the downfall of the Orland
= ministry on June 10, 1919, and
Al was succeeded by the moderate Nit
cabinet, whose selection exasperate
the Italian Nationalist and was tn
forerunner of the d'Aanunzio cou
y detat the following September.
Fiume. at the time CT the entr
e of the d'Annunzio forces was undo
:. the military control of Genera Pi
taluga of the Italian army. I'll
~ general had led a strong detachmer
er to the outskirts of the city to into
cert the invaders who had armore
automobiles and were armed wit
he machine guns. D'Annuoz'o met n,
with the salutation: 81 understan