New-York tribune., 1920-03-06
Ready
To Aid Allied
Adriatic Plan

AdTlatlc Ylan
Continued from pasc
shall be made at the expense Of the
nationals of third power; agrees
with the Presidents protest agains,
any partitioning Of Albania as 3 sor
to Jugo-Slavia; defends the secrecy Of
the London pact pm grounds of mill
tary expediency existing at the. time
of its negotiation, and reiterates that
in the event Of further negotiations to
effect voluntary agreement the
Treaty of London must become the
only valid alternative.
Jugo-Slavs Bid for Time
Next in interest to the text Of the
! Anglo~French memorandum, the memo
randum Of the Jugo-Slavs of January
% is shrewdly-drawn bid for time,
based, as events have indicated, on a
foreknowledge on Jugo-Slavias part of
the determination of the President to
upset the entire project.
The memorandum from the Italian
government, under date of January 6,
lays down the conditions under which
settlement in the Adriatio agreeable
to Italy might be brought about.
Briefly stated. this memorandum insists
upon the fulfllment Of the Treaty Of
London, but in order to eliminate the
difficulties which have arisen since
that treaty was signed the Italians
agree upon a compromise. The terms
of this compromise are that Fiume be
made free state; that the Italian
character of that city be safeguarded
by statute; that Italy be given q
stretch of territory connecting Fiume
with its frontier; that the islands of
Italy; that Zara be made free city;
that the eastern coast of the Adriatic
be neutralized; that the Italians of
Fiume and Dalmatia retain their Ital-
ian citizenship without leaving the ter
ritory, and that guarantees be given
for the existing economic enterprise in
Dalmatia.
Accept Main Italian Proposals
The British and French proposals of
January 8 declare their willingness to
abide by the terms of the Treaty of
London, but take up the Italian pro
posals and accept them in the main,
although insisting upon certain minor
notifications.
On January 10 the italian delega-
tion, according to the third communi-
cation in the list, took up and analyzed
the memorandum Of the British,
French and American governments Of
December 9, and presented arguments
against its imposition upon Italy
This is largely a detailed discussion
of frontier lines and technicalities in
volved in what is described as the
Wilson plan," and an effort is made
to show how the December 9 program
would work injustice toward Italy 1t
refers to the ambition Of Jugo- Slavia
to found a great state upon the ruins
Of the old Austro- Hungarian Empire, a
state which the. Italians fear might
endanger the peace of Europe, if
granted all the claims which it has
made in the Adriatic.
The concluding document is the Slav
answer to the Allied ultimatum and
IS brief but determined protest
against the settlement which the Allies
had offered to Jugo- -Slavia.
Reply to President Wilson
The memorandum by the Prime Min
listers of France and Great Britain in
reply to President Wilson's communi-
cation received February 25, 1920,
follows:
London, February 26, 1890.
''Ihe Prime Ministers of France and
Great Britain welcome the communica-
tion which they have to-day received
from the President Of the United States
m answer to their memorandum of
February II. They wish to record their
appreciation of the recognition given
therein by President Wilson to the at
tltude OF the French and British gov
ernnlents concerning the Adriatc set
tlement: The French and Britisl,
Prime Ministers are glad, once again,
to repeat their assurance given by them
IN the mem morandum of January 22 that
they have never had the intention of
making a definite settlement of the
questions raised without obtaining the
views of the American government A
further explanation of these views,
which is supplied in the memorandum
under rep.y, is, therefore, for the French
and British governments a. matter of
very great interest and Importance, all
the more since it shows that the United
States government does not wish to
disinterest itself from the general
question of peace. The absence of any
American representatives has proved,
IN practice, an almost insurmounta lie
obstacle to the success of nominations
aho TO the acceptance by the parties
concerned of an equ4t, Die solution in
conformity alike with tha principles of
/ yin PVaSC COI1SIcllCc ana Oh the leElt-
innate, though conflicting, aspirations Of
the Italian and Jugo-Slav peoples.
Ready to Withdraw Proposals
"They note as fact of the greatest
Importance that the President Of the
United States expressed his Willingness
to accept any settlement mutually
gTeeable to Italy and Jugo- Slavia re-
| Garding their common frontier in the
fiume region, provided that such an
agreement is not made on the basis of
compensations elsewhere at the ex-
pense of nationals Of a third power.
This, the French and British Prime
Ministers agree, would be the ideal
way Of settling the question at issue
and they are willing to do their utmost
to reach a settlement by this road. In
order to facilitate this process they
are ready to withdraw the proposals
made both on December and on Jan
uafy 20, for they feel that if the two
parties principally concerned believe
that the various Allied and associated
powers are committed to supporting
them in any particular solution it
would be more difficult to secure a
voucher for agreement between them.
The French and British Prime Min
listers, therefore, join in a cordial in
vitation that President Wilson should
take part with them in formal pro-