Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-03-04

Washington. Fell. 26.--Pr eeident Wilson
In his reply TO the British and French
premicrs on the Airiauc question adherss
10 his previous decision that unless the
terms of settlement are returned tn the
provisions of the lgrecufent on December
ne must take under serious cons idcra
ton the withdrawal! Of the treaty Oh
Versailles ami the Frorch alliance from
the Senate.
The respons, u tho preners WIS dis
patched from London .o-day. but had not
been received to-nigh. in Washington.
with the exception of this note, the
exchange On the subject were made pub
lie to-day by the state department.
PRESIDENTS FIRST PROTEST
President Wilson's note Of January 10,
in profess aSA;ps. the new Adsiatc set
tlcmcr. proposed BY the premiers under
date of January ~, ayAed whether /. was
the intention OF To? Britich and French
governments in the future to dispose OF
me various questions pending IN Europe
an] to communicate the results t. the
government OF the United States" adding
that Clomenoeau and Lloyd George must
realize there were features la the pro-
posed Fiune settlement which could not
he acceptable 20 this government.
FRIMIE3S' REPLY
Lloyd Gecrge and ClemenceGu Replying
under da;e of Janla.-; g disulairned any
intention of making q definite scttlemen :
without the views Of the United States.
but have taken It UP at the point at
which It was LEFT when Under-Secretary
Polk returned TO Washington. They re-
piled ,ney fclt practically every In
portant point Of tho Joint memorandum
OF December remained untouched" and
added that only two features undergo
alterations and both these are TO be ad-
vantage of Jugo-Slavia."
The British and French rremiers argued
that the disappearance of the free state
of Fiume would reunite 20O0 Jugo- Slavs
with their fatherland and that the
Albanian settlement was such as to afford
satisfaction ito the necessary require
ments of all parties concerned They
characterized ii as fair settlement of
"a difficult and dangerous question and
that in the event of it's not being
accepted they will be driven to support
the enforcement of the treaty Of London
which is satisfactory to nobody"
Both preimers disclaimed any intent to
show the slightest dscourtesy to the
United States or that they wished to
President Wilson was not at the confer
ence, they said. they thought the best plan
TO proceed with with the best negotiations
and communicate the results to the Uni
ted States.
PRESIDENT CAN SEE IT.
President Wilson'S reply of February
10 said he could not "believe that n solu-
ton containing provisions which already
cd
ton of the French and British govern
ments referring to the settlement of De-
cember can in any sense be regarded as
right" He could not agree that the mem
orandum of January IA left untouched
practically every important point as ar
gued by the British and French premiers
and declared his opinion that the original
had been profoundly altered to the ad-
vantage of improper Italian detectives,
TO the serious injury of the Jugoslav peo-
pie and to the peril of world peace" The
fact that Italy rejected the proposal of
December and accepted that Of January
IA. the President thought was proof that
Italy would receive very positive ad-
vantages."
President Wilson's note said that where
as the agreement Of December Q excluded
every form Of Italian sovereignty over
rune ne couIo not aVoiu the coHciusion
that the agreement of January IA "opens
the way for Italian control OF Fiume' S
foreign affairs"
"Italy's unjust Demands said the
Presidents note, had been condemned
by the French and British governments
In terms no less severe than those EN-.
ployed by the American government
While there is thus substantial
agreement as to the injustice and in
cxpedience Of Italy's claims there Is &
difference of opinion as to how firmly
ltaly's friends should resist her i'm