The Southern Slays on Tuesday informed the Supreme Council of
the Allies that they-could not accept the Adriatic compromise proposed by the Council. The Allies had with much difficulty persuaded Italy to reduce her claims on Dalmatia and the islands to very small proportions, and to treat Fiume and Zara, as free cities under the League, in consideration of a slight extension of the Italian sphere in Istria. But the Southern Slave declined to abate their claims in Istria by a single square mile beyond the frontier sketched by President Wilson, and therefore rejected a very reasonable compromise. The Council informed them that, if they persevered in this unwise refusal, the Allies must apply the Treaty of London, by which France and Great Britain are bound to see that Italy receives a substantial part of Dalmatia but not Fiume. The Belgrade politicians seem to count on wearying the Allies into a surrender of Italy's natural claims. It is a short-sighted policy. The Southern Slays will have to live side by side with the Italians, and they would be well advised to come to terms with the friendly Ministry at Rome.
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