The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-02-28
WILSON RECEDES
FROM HIS STAND
ON FIUME ISSUE
copyright By The 1ntelligencerD
BY DAVID LAWRENCE,

wAsuuNGToN. l.. {. Feb. On
the surface. President Wilson appears
10 10 standing pat on he tlume
issue. Actually. however. n" ms re-
coded sufficiently 10 permit "t a Ne''l'
ment between Italy and JuEo- Si"Nia.
Nrlpred of diplomatic phraSeotoSS
AMI legal discussions. the exchange or
notes Just made pubnc places the fres-
lGcnr ~ The J'utted States on record as
being willing {" accept any so.uSa'"
whiCh the two most interested parties
Italv and Jug"- Sla"ia--May reach pro-
rided the settlement does not prclurice
the iuter"st or Albania. circumstance
that ~ UUt .i.'Ei"ult ~ ADJUST
Tho prr~rG.'''. iunTevScr. backs GOWN
on his thu g.. S. uaUaN the treaty ana
American az, ususrSh:p In the League OF
Nations A. ihc memorandum ~ perem
Der 9th IS not accepted. Tor since '"S.
proposal was rejected ~ ila.E, lux,
Slavia has appeared ready 20 neGotiAiH
= rsy settlement The question Of Am
cr,c2u withdrawal really turns upon
whether ur not IN" United states - |"
be consulted. The Niles have gwen
assurance hat they wall consult the
United States. What th"y Forgot was
that although tn" Gated S,at"s has
NOT - IcroUs II member ~ the League
OF Nations. American ambassadors
abroad should hhv" been Kept Informed
uur-i',vS growing out q; treaty sign
ed hY the president. American d:pi"-
mats N Eur, ~, have been ANXIOUS not
Il offend To-" senate and hay" r"traih'd
frrrl meeting with thr allied prcm1"rS
In formal m,"lInE< of ~" League. H"ne
'hn . ihat ~ confused foreign govern
mems 2ud l"I - this present m'$un-
~. r~Irld W.
Secretary Iar>'rS seemed :" tax" the
View THAI imperfect means % c"mmun-
f,,fr,,,5 Ms responsible, NOR" than any
trir, .t-.. for tho dtyerr"DC" Sf the
Nln"; from the viewpoint sought u he
established by the president and II IS
rar, thai Mr. Lansing urged Mr. Wilson
not To- atiix TO his not" q threat 10
Withdraw ~" treaty Mr.. Lansing felt
thai matters had not yet reached ="
critical a stage and that an uItlma,um
81 that k:rd might have serious effect
on the, status Ct ~" treaty In tho SEN
at" ,yh,r. Il n!ght re. construed ~
Justification II IN" .GraS 81 the trrecon-
C'lab'cs who AL along have oeen con-
tending that partnership Win Euro
pean governments <4s an ASSOCIATION
with tcrr'tnrts..y AMBITIOUS and seitish
nations
The president. however, took en-
rha,ir issue wNh Mr.. Lansing ana IN
rather summary fashion ordered the
note sent hvrAt and uN The notes
saul to ... N'Uc~ were. therefore. not
tho wu"S &C Secretary Lansing. bur
w"r. written by sem" ~ the experts
IN" peace conference. The documents
wcr". hnwcvCr. revised by the president.
who - NO. y"t strong c-aough 10 write
Diplomats note 90 such length without
outside &SSistanCH.
The Allies contend that they dis
rarded The memorandum OF December
?ih largely because II was objectionable
To Italy and Jugo-Slrvia and that they
stated anew. They were admittedly IN
am Cmha assinC position because OF
'hc Treaty OF London. hut the central
fact brought out In the exchange Of
notes ~ that Great Britain and France
WET" ready to yield to practical expedi-
cncN IN ihr F'ums affair 10 appease
Italy. white President Wilson WAS quit"
sure thus would only mean temporary
calm.
Fvcm the view point Of liberals. Pres
idcUt Wilson'S StauGCh refusal 20 a!io -
~Np"disrcy - govern him in the Adri-
Ate S"rtl"mcnt IS healthy return 20
the Fundamental principles which 50
many of his critics wished he had fol
iow"d In the ShartunE affair and the
Rhlrrland both Of which settlements
were. defended "n the ground OF expedi-
sncy Mr.. Wilson's readiness To take
tho world int" his confidence" on the
diplomatic correspondence over Ftums
opens n new era IN diplomacy too.
II has "a Sed among liberals here the
question or how much more the Tresi-
den, might have accomplished by adopt
ing a course Of pitilcsS publicity on
some tt tGC Htner l'StiiS ct IN" tdElS
settlement For Will" tho Ftume cor
reSpCndcnCc was VarIously interpreted
on Capitol Hin where opponents OF the
tr,aty Saw confirmation 81 their con-
t-n,'on that the treaty means inve;GlH-
m-nr III European tangles. others saw
TIE DISs lb!litieS Of the League OF Ma
tluns projected fcrctbly on The tnterna-
tiouol screen.
Much comfort was derived cut of tho
recognition moreover BY the Niles that
the TrrH'v Of Versailles WAS not 20 70
main UnChanSA ard that NJ" ~ the
articles Cr the covenant provided for
revision wHs not. inserted as an empty
. pr mis-, bu; might b. actually invoked
Friends - the President have h'rc-
'ufnr. YJ, much ta'th In tina; article
NhI.l rAr,nilS ~ revision though they
have nG"r"I how lhc treaty could bs
revised So Log a. al agreements on
the counc'! must h" unanimous. italy
- = rr"rlNer % tho Cr,inci, and the pres
.ient Expresses IN ms last u0te \ fear
thr, revision OF = mandate - doubtful.
Speaking % giving Italy 4 mandate
over Alhnr!, Mr. Wilson says:
Moreover. one tNf Aihonia) would he
ndrnl is'crcd by tho Italian government,
which Is represented on the council OF