Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-01-08
D'ANNUNz|ORAPPED
BY FORUM SPEAKER
Is Not Representative of italian
Patriotism or People,
Says Or. Johnson
PROBLEMS OF ADRIATIC

meeting Of the P''~-'~ LEDGER forum
on the peace conference.
II was all done N few words,
quietly and thoughfully spoken, but the
very restraint OF the speaker left an
outline picture Of q shattered idol that
each one could FIJI in for himself with
the darkest colors on his palette.
The subject before She forum was
the adjustment Of - taliCn frontiers
with special refere, ; to Fiume and
the eastern shores OF the Adriatic sea.
The speaker, DIR. Douglas Johnson, OF
Columbia University. major during
the war, and the chief of the boundary
geography division of the American
Peace Commission. traced the entire
story of the claims and counterclaims
and how they were adjusted and then,
with the audience invited to ask ques
tions. there came the inevitable one:
'What is your opinion of DAN
nunzio?'
DR.. johnson waited until the laugh
had subsided and then, in n tone that
carried the deepest Significance to his
hearers, said:
II do not know whether want to
express my opinion Of D'Annunzio be-
fore an audience of ladies and gentle
men. l have too high an opinion of
Italian patriotism and the italian peo-
pie to believe that D'Annunzio Is a
proper representative of either.
That was all. but the dead silence for
q moment and then the outburst Of ap-
plause showed that it had made its i'm
preston upon the audience.
Wilson's Thorough knowledge
The usual anti Wilsonian question
came up. as it has at every other meet
ing. This time it was: What was the
extent Of President Wilson $ own per
lem?"
1t was greeted with prolonged laugh
ter, but Dr. johnson waited patiently
until quiet was restored and then came
forward on the stage like n man who
wants no misunderstanding Of what he
is about to say.
president Wilson kept in constant
touch with his experts. he replied.
He had our memoranda. and l can
assure you thev were Overwhelmingly
voluminous. Yet he studied every paper
most carefully. 1t is only fair to say
that he had most astonishing com
mand of the details and intricacies OF
the whole problem
Here he was interrupted by an out
burst of spontaneous applause, and then
continued:
"You can see from what l have said
tonight that the ramitications OF the
problem were exceedingly complicated. l
too - the Presidents study series
of relief models of all the territory in
volved. They were made on large
scale so that they showed every noun
tam. every valley. every town and river.
So he had an actual miniature of each
section The photographic. strategic,
economic and geographic frontiers were
all shown. as was the distribution OF
populations. . :,
his study with these models before him.
whenever it seemed to any of us
experts that we should see him per-
sonally we asked conference with
him. He was very busy man. We
had only our own specially. The Pres
ident had all of them and many more in
which we were not involved.
yet it is only fair to say that, while
we repeatedly asked for personal con-
ferences, he never failed to respond i'm.
mediately with an immediate appoint
ment.
He had a private telephone and he
used it constantly. He often called me
up in my bedroom after ! had promised
20 take certain papers to him to ask,
Where are those papers"
Fiume Important Port
Fiume, the speaker declared. is a
necessary economic outlet of Hungary
and the newly created state Of Jugo-
Slavia. There is no place on the
MEDITERRANEAN coast he added,
''where one locality has such tremend- =
Gus economic possibilities as Firme.''
DR.. Johnson declined to speak in de.
tail of the treaty OF Rapallo on the
ground that he had seen no official copy
of it and was therefore not conversant
with its provisions. But he gave the
impression Of being much disappointed
in the main points that have been Cab'cd
TO this country. especially with the ced-
ing to Italy Of additional territory to
the north which contains Fumes only
outlet by railroad toward Central
Europe.
The fact that the treaty now pushes
italian territory to the edge of Fiumc.
so that there is always the menace OF
italian seizure Of the port at any time,
he also regarded as unfortunate. He
pointed out that Fiume is not a natural
harbor-that it has been created at
much expense and that great sums OF
money and much labor are required ia
meet its growing needs. 1t can hardly
be expected, he said, that any country
Will luNcSl WHAT Is utt'NStE1 Win tuV
italian menace ever present, and that
even under Italian rule, the port
would be neglected in favor Of the near
by port of Trieste, which would leave
Jugo- Slavia commercially helpless.
The Problem OF the Adriatlc
With the aid of maps he showed the
naval problem that ConfrontS Italy il
the Adriatic sea.
Strategic arguments he said
''werre advanced in support OF Italian
claims to extensive territory in Dal.
malta and on the east coast islands, in
habitcd almost wholly by Jugo- Slavs.
THE mountainous, ragged eastern
coast Of the Adratic. with its numer
Gus harbOrs, is in strong contrast viii
the low, simple western coast, wher,
harbors are few in number and in
ferior in quality.
"Any naval power on the eastern
coast must find itself possessing i'm
mense advantages over ltay. A fee
taking refuge in one of the ItaliaI
harbors is visible from fur out to sci
because of the fatncss of the coast
whereas vessels seCretcd along the east
ern shore are invisible behind mountain
barriers.
From the low western coast OBJ
servation of an approaching squadron
is limited as compared with the bette
observation enjoyed by those on tn
dominating heights Of the easter
shores. Coast defense artillery ha
little choice of inferior positions on tn
italian side and unlimited choice q
excellent positions on the easter
coast.
"a fleet emerging from one of tn
western harbors to give battle may b
taken unawares before it can develo