Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-02-27


ton OF the Observation-Disclosures frontier
WIS detrimental to Juxo-Slayia and
that y provided Tor the partition OF
Albania
The premiers remarked that Presi-
dent Wilson had ignored theSgreat
advantage conferred OF Jugo-Slavta at
they had Found. they said, that "no-
body desired the contamination Of the
free state Of F1unrc,''' and that "the
Inet upshot" OF the agreement was to
give J~ugo-Slavia 10000 more Jugo-
Slavs than the original proposal. The
premiers argued That the guarantees
of the league Of nations were sufi-
Gent to guard against the annexation
President Wilson feared and his
railway they replied to by holding it
"a commercial and not a strategic
railway and adding that under
President Wilson's proposal il is com.
manded by italian guns"
Details Of the administration OF
Albania, they said, were yet to be
Elaborated and the feelings and fu-
tyre interest of the Albanian peo-
pie were to be regarded. The pres
nniers found difficulty in understand
Ing the present attitude Of the Unit
ed states" and hoped their explana-
tons would lead to a reconsideration
OF President Wilson's attitude. They
dlscialmed any desire ito force a set
iemen unacceptable TO the presi-
dent OF the United States and add
ed they would not attempt to insist
on Its acceptance until after hearing
his views. :
In. a long argument the premier
declared "the proposal of December
> has fallen to the ground. because
NOBODY now wants to set UP the arti-
flcia! free state Of Fiume," and add
ed that the United States. having mo
| representative at the deliberations,
cannot be in close touch with the
changes of opinion and circumstances
which have taken place since it.
plenlpotentiaries returned to Amer
lca,' failing to ecure an agreed set.
tlement they had no choice but to
rely on the Treaty Of London which
the premiers said, they never had
concealed from the president and
which they felt bound to apply. fail.
ing to secure another agreement. un.
less it were to be regarded as
scrap Of paper"
France and Great Britain, there.
fore" said their reply, view with
CONSERVATION the threat of the Unit.
ed States to withdraw from the com.
ity of nations because ii does MOI
agree with the precise terms Of the
Adriatic settlement E4hnoligit
reasons, it was argued. could lot be
the only ones taken into account, a.
they said 100000 Germans had
been taken into Czecho-Slovakia anG
the American delegation had support.
ed it including $500, 900 Ruthenian.
in Poland. The reply added the hop.
that whatever the final view of tn,
United States as to the Adriatic set
tlement may be they will not wrecl
the whole machinery for dealing will
international disputes be.
their view is not adopted il
France and Great Britain cannot be
lieve that it is the purpose Of tn,
American people to take a step S,
~far-reaching and terrible in it's ef
fects on a ground which has the APP
pearance of being SO inadequate. Thi
was h conclusion of the reply o
the French and British premiers o
February II. Il
The Last Note.
President Wilson's. note of Feb
ruary "a, the last diplomatic pape
in the record, except the reply to i
now on the way to America, begin
by sayingSthe president feels that i
the present circumstances he has n
choice but to maintain the position h
has taken sall along He adds 81
the opinion Of the American govern
ment the terms of the peace settle
ment must continue t o be formulate
upon the basis of the principles 70
which America entered the war
By writing into the Treaty of Yer
sailles Article Ten of the Leagu
covenant, the president said his pc
sation was that the. powers associat
ed against Germany had "foregon
all territorial aggression and all in
reference with the free political sell
determi1ation of the peoples of tn
world" The presidents reply say
that while Italy has accepted the sui
stftute project for the free state {
Fiame the Jugo-Slavs have, not az
cepted it. In his view, the note say
I III project to connec Fiume<t to Ital
by a corridor "is quite impracticable
and he refers to the declarations {
December 9 on that subject. Reitel
atinE his belief that to join FUN
vite strife out of which annexatio
might issue the presidents not
says> that while the three-fold d
J, visiop~of Albania in the British agre,
ment might be most acceptable
the Jugo-S1av government" he
+ just as vigorously opposed to injurin
the&Albanian people for the benef
of Jugo-Slavia,' as he is "to inju'
ing the Jugo-Slav people for the ber
, ing the Italian northern frontier. tt
. president argues already depart fro
= the treaty OF London line and wei
y with the understanding that neg,
tiations were proceeding on quite
. new basis"
: 1T mas been NO secret" say til
. presidents reply, that the parties
: the treaty did not themselves no
J desire it and that they have thus II
refrained from putting its provi
ions into effect. Fl
: nearly eight, months discussion Of I'll
Adriatic problem has proceeded Z
the assumption that a better bas
for an understanding could be four
: ithan those provided by the treaty
. London" Ita1y has already accep
Z ed, the president said, specific sc
= tpeaty were applied now. Bringil
in the treaty of London as an obi
: gatorial alternative, the presiden,
: note said, came as a surprise'' b
) cause the American government r
garded. the agreement of December
/. as superseding it. The course to IA
" back on the Treaty Of London, it sal
' was followed without Any attem'
y to seek the views Of this COVER
! ment.,"
= In conclusion, the president repli
. to the British and French referen,
= to the inclusion Of Germans
y Cseeho- Slovakia and Ruthenes
Poland, saying: This il a line
= reasoning which the italian repr
sentatives have advanced during Il
: course of the negotiations but whi
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