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Show j1 NOTES OF DISCORD. 1 Italy has not givon up hope that the f terms of the Becret treaty which in-educed in-educed her to enter tli war will be ful- filled. This vfew is borne out by the 'fact that, under the leadership of Pre-imier Pre-imier Orlando, the Italian delegation to ; the peace conference has unanimously decided to withdraw from the confer-.' confer-.' ence unless Fiume is assigned to Italy I contemporaneously with the conclusion of peace. In addition to this ultimatum, '! the Paris Matin quotes Field Marshal j Foch as declaring that the Khine is the 'only good line of French defense. "I do not demand annexation," said the general, "but if we do not secure that j military frontier wo will have fought i in vain." Another matter of grave ! concern is the dispute among the mem-'j mem-'j bers of tho war council over the amount Germany is to bo required to pay. France wants to take all the earthly possessions of the defeated foe. She also insists upon being served first in i: the settlement of claims. Finally, the : French insist that the trade of the Ger-'j Ger-'j mans be restricted. Rogarding the claim of Italy to Fiume, one of tho principal ports on :'. the Adriatic, it is said that Colonel . House of the American mission has : promised Premier Orlando to present j within a few days a project concerning - ji the Italian-Jugo-Slav frontiers which j he hopeB will settle the dispute to the j ; satisfaction of both parties. As to the i reiteration of Marshal Foch's views con-: con-: cerning the Rhine as the natural French boundary, there does not appear to be even a remote' chance that the confer-; confer-; ence will make such a concession, and : wo do not expect the French delegates to insist upon it. : The indemnity matter will have to 'i be handled judicially and cautiously. J It would be foolish indeed to load Ger-I Ger-I many beyond her ability to carry, and 1 if she is not allowed to trade with the ' rest of the world she cannot be expected I to pay interest on the bonds she will j be forced to issue. There is no sym-i sym-i pathy for the Germans in this quarter I of the world. They richly deserve all i the punishment they will receive, but i if all their mines are to be taken from them and their foreign trade curbed, ! the allies might as well pare their in-i in-i demnity estimatos down to the lowest limit. Blood cannot be squeezed out of a turnip. It is absolutely impossible to take coin from the pockets of a man j who hasn't it. It is likewise impossiblo to make a country pay more than it can earn or borrow. , There is reason in all things. If not , there should be. Should Italy withdraw ' from tho peace conference the whole 1 ; league of nations project might fail, although al-though this is not certain to be the ' : case. In any event, she would lose the i material and moral support of the other powers, and if a war with the Jugoslavs Jugo-slavs should occur some time in the future, she would be compelled to defend de-fend herself without the aid of the allies. al-lies. We regard the ultimatum con-' con-' cerning the port of Fiume as a bluff made at a critical moment. We hope, however, that the solution of Colonel i House will prove satisfactory and all parties be appeased. |