13 MARCH 1920, Page 2

President Wilson addressed a fresh Note to Great Britain and

France last Saturday in regard to the Adriatic question. He said that he must adhere to the scheme of December 9th last, proposed by Great .Britain, France, and America, but that he would abandon the suggested buffer-State, enclosing Fiume, between Italy and the Southern Slave if those nations could agree upon a common frontier, Fiume itself remaining a free city under the League of Nations. The President, we are glad to notice, reiterated his refusal to partition Albania, for the purpose of " compensating " the Southern Slays. The Albanians are a fine people whose independence should be sedulously guarded. The President expressed his regret that the Allies had not informed him of the provisions of the Treaty of London with Italy. He declined to be bound by that Treaty, except in so far as it seemed to be just and reasonable. Finally, he said that it was through no fault of his that the Adriatio controversy was still unsettled. Great Britain and France had departed from the December scheme, and had put forward a new plan which was unacceptable to the Southern Slays and to America. The President's very plain speaking should help to end this tiresome dispute.