Flume

The Mussolini Government informed the YugoSlavian delegation in Rome that unless they came to terms on the problems connected! with the Port of Fiume,* Italy would1 reserve her " full liberty of action." The Treaty of London (1915) promised Italy a large area of continental Dalmatia. After the War there arose a conflict of interest between Yugo-Slavia and Italy. Yugo-Slavia wanted the Dalmatian coast and Italy was left in a quandary as to whether she would hold out for her rights under the Treaty of London or accept the Port of Fiume, which had not been promised to her, but which she then claimed. The question was further complicated by the action of the Italian poet, d'Annunzio, in seizing Fiume (Sept. 12, 1919) and annexing it to Italy. These difficulties were smoothed out by the Treaty of Rapallo (November, 1920) negotiated for Italy by Count Sforza, Foreign Minister in the last Giolitti Cabinet, who, in a letter to the YugoSlavian Government, recognized its claims to the adjacent port of Barros. In Article 4 of the Treaty of Rapallo the contracting Powers recognized the independence of Fiume in perpetuity. Article 5 set up a special mission to delimit the zone of Fiume. The mission, however, encountered a good deal of opposition from the heterogeneous " Fiumians" who were not represented on the mission, and the status of Porto Barros became a sore point between Yugo-Slavia and Italy. Another conference was called which resulted in the Agreement of Santa Margherita (June 5, 1921), The terms of the Agreement gave equal rights to Yugo-Slavia, Italy, and the Government of Fiume in Fiume. The Port of Barros was recognized as a part of Fiume, but Yugo-Slavia revived political rights over it.

The mission, now a Tripartite concern, went to work to apply the terms of the Treaty of Rapallo and the Agreement of Santa Margherita. But, the geographical situations of Sussak (a suburb of Fiume) and Porto Barros created many difficulties in regard to the administration of Fiume. Moreover, Yugo-Slavia wanted Porto Barros completely under her own sovereignty. It is the question of Porto Barros that has delayed a settlement so long.

The Mussolini Government has proposed the following formula for the settlement of the Fiume question :

1) A commission composed of equal number of delegates from Fiume, Italy and Yugo-Slavia to take over the government of Fiume, Sussak, Porto Barros.

2.) The commission to entrust the Italian Government with the political and administrative government of the city of Fiume.

3) The commission to administer the railroads.

4) Sussak and Porto Barros to be under the sovereignty of Yugo-Slavia, but to bind themselves to remain united with the city of Fiume for a period of 99 years.

*Plume was a port of the old Austro-Hungarian monarchy, and is situated on the Istrian Peninsula (not in Dalmatia) on the Adriatic Sea. The area is eight English square miles and the population is 49,806. SignOr Attilio Depoli is the head of the Provisional Government.