| Show I. I I i II The Break With 1 Italy a I IT ITALY TALY AL Y by its Us insistent claims to territory that is non-Italian non has forced a break in the peace conference President Wilson Ilson r ft upholding the doctrines on which the United States entered th the tf w war r and the conditions on which which peace negotiations were were initiated has ha's flatly rejected Italy's claims The Italian delegates Orlando and Son Sonnino ino have chosen to leave the conference rather than change their demands The situation situa situa- lion tion thus created is fraught with peril but it need not delay the signing of peace between France Great Britain the United States and Japan with Germany I Two years ago last April 6 President Wilson Vilson signed the the resolution res reso- reso j lution of congress declaring a state of war existed between this tIllS country and Germany He told why America entered the war t using these there words We Ve Ve shall fight e for the rights and liberties ies of pf f small nations for fora a universal dominion of right by such a ac c concert of free peoples as shall bring peace and safety safely to all v nations nations- and make Blake the world itself at last free In 1 support of these principles heartily approved by the people i of America by bv the allied countries and the neutral nations generally generally generally gener- gener ally our boys crossed the seas some of them never to return and r I j turned the tide of battle so that victory came carne to the entente allies I F President Vilson Wilson would be a traitor if he now swerved from the I policy so ably enunciated two years ag ago and Americans may well applaud the spirit that moves him hint to stand SQ firmly behind American principles I I Looking a little further back into history we find what in- in induced Italy to enter the war as an ally of France and Great Britain She was as a matter of fact party to an offensive and andI I defensive alliance with Austria Hungary ary but when Ft the lie war started she wavered She was wa's assured by Berlin that the J war var would i prove rove a quick and glorious victory for German Germany and p j her ally but even this assurance and the great victories gained b by W Germany at al the start of the campaign campaign did not induce Italy to liver live r up tip to her alliance with the central powers Then Germany and Ind I Austria began to offer inducements to Italy to get into the fight ther the r inducements consisting of promises of money and territory I Great Britain co countered b by y making similar offers Th The bidding bid- bid p J ding was lively but finally Italy accepted the British offer ignoring tl its existing alliance with German Germany and Austria Great Britain and andt t France e joined in a secret treat treaty with Italy y b by which Italy ly if the li f allies proved victorious was to receive a great stretch of territory Si in including luding all the Dalmatian coast a vast area populated overwhelmingly overwhelmingly overwhelm- overwhelm I in most instances b by y Jugo There was reason for this IH then hen for giving this territory to Italy was expected to prove a an harrier barrier to Austria Hungary ry barren barring n that tha country from the Mediterranean Medi- Medi and taking millions of people who had been long 1 f oppressed from Austrian rule I This treaty with Italy was a secret document It was not b made public until the peace delegates began their negotiations at I Paris In the meantime the map of the world had been changed I and d ar President Wilson Vilson had promulgated his fourteen conditions of peace r These conditions were accepted by y the allied nations in including in- in eluding Italy and b by y the enemy powers One of these conditions f Avas as the right of self Fortunes of war have destroyed Austria It has ceased I to exist The several parts of the empire arc are to be erected into Independent states and associated in a league of nations not with w h y those who were yere recently our enemies points out Mr Wilson Vilson in a statement given out Wednesday at Paris but with Italy h herself I and the powers that stood with Italy in the great war for libert liberty n j i I Under these conditions the argument that once prompted the I feeding ceding to Italy of the Dalmatian coast as a barrier against an enemy no longer exists To do so now is to rob a friend and to sow the seeds of future wars perhaps an imm immediate diate war ar Pola and Tri Triest st and the watershed from the Alps are arc Italian and 1 d may frightfully rightfully be restored to that country Fiume and the great stretch I I beyond bordering the Mediterranean is overwhelmingly Slavic Jugo-Slavic I and by every every right of self determination tion belongs long 19 to and Id is is needed J i by the budding Sla Slay Slav gr group up of nations |
