The Peace Conference
at Paris
557
Nasmith,
G. G. (1919).
Canada's
sons
and Greatconcessions
Britain in the World
War:Shantung
A complete
former
German
on the
certain
to obtain
and
authentic
history
of
the
commanding
part
played
by
Canada
and
the
British
wilUng
Russia.
was
also
aid
in
restoring
order
in
She
to
Peninsula.
Empire in the world's greatest war. Toronto: The John C. Winston Co., Ltd.
China wanted to be guaranteed freedom from foreign
aggression, the gradual aboUtion of "Consular rights," and the
return
of Kiau-Chau.
Peace
Conference
Crisis,
Withdrawal
of Italy desired an outlet to the sea by making the Rhine
Switzerland
Italy's
Claimsstream.
to Fiume
a neutral
Japan's Claims to China
Denmark wished to annex that part of northern Schleswig
inhabited by Danes.
It may at once be seen that the satisfactory adjustment of
these demands meant a rearrangement of the map of Europe.
Furthermore, many of the claims conflicted; in some cases, particularly in the Balkans, the satisfactory settlement of the
demand
one nation would outrage the national sentiment of another.
On several occasions the situation at the Peace Conference became
so acute that delegates of certain countries withdrew in protest.
Great difficulties also occurred through the public becoming agitated over questions which had been more or less misrepresented
by newspaper correspondents. The press of different countries
wielded all possible influence to force discussion on certain debatof
able matter.
THE WITHDRAWAL OF ITALY
Many and
of ambitions
serious were the differences of opinion
and
conflicts
which had to be smoothed over or settled by the
leaders of the peace delegates at Paris, but a breach
more
serious
than all former ones was encountered, of such gravity as to threaten
the withdrawal of one of the five great powers from the deliberations.
Italy
was the
disaffected party,
and the trouble arose over
her insistence on her rights to the port of Fiume, on the eastern
shores of the Adriatic, while the other Allies were not wilHng that
she should occupy that seaport.
Whether as spokesman
and France or not, President Wilson took the lead in opposing Italy's claim, and for several
days the ItaUan delegates refrained from attending the councils
for Britain
of the Big Four.
Italy based her claims
on a secret agreement made with
Britain and France, prior to her entering the war,
known
as the
Pact of London, but her two Allies read the treaty as giving Fiume
Canada's Sons in the World War
558
i
TO
The Contrasting Coast-Lines of the Adriatic
This
map
between the almost harbourless Adriatic coast
its numerous deep-water, well-sheltered
ports. It also indicates the projection of the shore of Southern Albania to within
45 miles of the Itahan cape of Otranto, whereby a hostile power holding Valona
(Avlona), could close the Adriatic to ItaUan shipping. The map further shows in
of Italy
illustrates the contrast
and the opposite eastern coast with
tint the eastern possessions of Venice
down
to 1798.
The Peace Conference
at Paris
559
to Croatia, so they were unable to support Italy's contention.
President Wilson took the stand that as the United States did not
become a party to this pact she was in no way bound by it, while
she was certainly called to stand by the principles enunciated by
the President in his famous fourteen points as principles of peace.
It
was contrary to those
principles to allow Italy to
on the pretense that she needed
naval aggression, when
side of the Adriatic
Adriatic
all
it
to secure herself against Austrian
the time there were countries on that
who found Fiume
their sole outlet to the
and Mediterranean.
The President brought matters
and
annex Fiume
head by taking the unusual
resume of the whole question,
opposing Italy's claims, and declaring
to a
original course of publishing a
clearlj^ stating his
reasons for
his determination to abide
by
his principles.
The
Italian delegates
pubUcation of this statement
when they read it in the Paris newspapers, and they immediately
withdrew from the Peace Conference.
Lloyd George and Clemenceau strained eveiy nerve to prevent an actual breach and though public feeling ran very high
in Rome and throughout Italy in support of Premier Orlando,
who, with Baron Sonnino, had returned to Italy, the matter, after a
received their first intimation of the
great deal of difficulty,
was adjusted and the
Italian representa-
tives returned to the peace table.
Japan's claims in China, particularly as to her rights in the
Shantung peninsula, at one time seemed to threaten to bring about
a block in the proceedings similar to that with the Italians. A
compromise was reached allowing Japan to temporarily retain
her rights in the disputed territory, the decision as to permanent
ownership being postponed until after the larger question of the
world's peace had been settled and signed.
Belgium also withdrew her delegates in protest on one occasion.
The task
of the representatives of the Alhes of preparing a
treaty that would safeguard
all the interests of the Allies and
and render the Geiman nation incapable of again
waging v/ar was truly a Herculean one. For the first time in the
carrying out of such a task everything was done in public; it was
the first time that secrecy had not prevailed; that ambassadors
had played little or no part; that the cards were all on the table.
The world would have no more of secret diplomacy and it said so
neutral powers,
560
in
Canada's Sons in the World War
no uncertain way.
Consequently since there was to be a really
earnest attempt to evolve a satisfactory settlement that would
prevent future wars the greatest men of every country" were the
representatives appointed to the great task.
To the waiting nations the time of discussing and preparing
the Peace Treaty seemed long and they frequently became im-
Probably no one will ever explain the task and its attendant
than Mr. Lloyd George to a House of Parliament
that had to a considerable extent lost its patience and become
Among other things the British Premier said
critical.
"We want peace. We want a peace that is just, but not
vindictive.
We want peace, a stern peace, because the occasion
demands it, the crime demands it; but its severity must be designed
not to gratify vengeance, but to vindicate justice. Every clause in
the terms must be justified on that ground.
"Above all, we want to prevent a repetition of the horrors of
the big war by making the wrongdoer repair the wrongs and losses
which he has inflicted by his wanton aggression; by punishing
each individual who is responsible, and by depriving the nations,
which menaced the peace of Europe for half a century with flourishing the sword, of their weapons. I stand by my pledges by avoiding
a condition which, by creating a legitimate sense of wrong, would
patient.
difficulties better
excite national pride to endlessly seek opportunities for redress.
The most permanent
security of
all is
the power of the nations of
the earth federated with a firm purpose of maintaining peace."