The Press Monday, March 24, 1919.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16479, 24 March 1919, Page 6

The Press Monday, March 24, 1919.

Stumbling Blocks at Paris. It was commonly thought that the greatest obstacles to a complete and I satisfactory agreement amongst the' Allies would come from the policies of America and Fance. It is not yet certain that France's claim to a Rhine frontier can be arranged, but the prospects of a full agreement on the French claims ia very good. As for America, the "freedom q£ the seas" has beeft

dropped from the issues, and the League of Nations proposal has been adopted. The problem of tho German colonies has also been settled. The difficulties left are those created by Italy and Japan, and although it will probably have surprised most poonle that the most sorious trouble should ariso in connexion with the claims of those Powers, trouble has long been anticipated by those who have understood tho character of tho treaty under which Italy entored tho war. and it was also regarded by well-informed people as possible that Japan would demand the adoption of racial equality as a governing principle for the international future. If the Japaneso dolegates aro acting in tho spirit of the wise and statesmanlike utterance by Viscount Ishii, which is reported to-day, Italy will be left as the only, stumbling block. Viscount Ishii urges that the principle of racial equality should be adopted, leaving it to Japan to settle amicably with interested countries the immigration problem. "Nothing will be further from " Japan's thought," he says, "than " hastily to force an issue, even if an " article against racial discrimination " woro inserted in the League of Na- " tions Covenant." It is less known, perhaps, than it ought to be, that the difficulty between America and Japan was settled long ago by what is called "a gentleman's agreemont" betweon the two Governments, under which J Japan has restricted, almost, but not| quite, to the point of prohibition, emigration to America. This agreement has been most faithfully obsorved for years. Tho other day the Sydney " Herald" was urging that Japan would not be likely to cause trouble: "Japan ' fully realises that this question of " immigration into British territory " would load, if pressed, to very eeri- " ous complications between the Brit- " ish Government and the various other '' British Administrations oversea, just "as the attitude and action of the "Pacific Coast States embarrassed the "Administration at Washington on the " very samo problem. We are inclined " to think that Japan will do no more "at the Peace Conference than mako " a suggestion that the principle of " equality between nations be recog- " nised, and will then take the wiser " course of allowing the problem of " immigration to adjust itself auto- '' mafcically as time goes on and Western ''ideas become more widely known and "put into practice in the Far East."

Italy, however, threatens to bo much less willing to compromise the claims to Dalmatia, which she forced upon the Entente in 1915. The Treaty of 1916 gave to Italy, amongst other stretches of territory, a number of Adriatic islands, and the whole of Dalmatia. Fiume was reserved aB a port for Croatia. Upon the surrender of Austria the Italians occupied Fiume and some of the Dalmatian towns, and it was only the restraining influence of the troops of other members of the Entente that prevented a fresh war* from beginning between Italy and Jugoslavia. Long before the war ended the Jugo-Slav State was welcomed, though not officially recognised, by Franco, Britain, and America, and 'the Italian Government, by the Pact of Rome, virtually admitted the independence of Jugo-Slavia and the Jugo-Slav rights over Dalmatia, with the ports of Fiume and Cattaro. There appears to be almost general agreement outside Italy that Italy's claim to Dalmatia is not defensible, and is nothing more than a display of expansionist greed. Opinion in Italy is seriously divided, but the friends of Jugo-Slav independence are a minority. In 1915 the facts of the situation made it reasonable that Italy should acquire complete control of the Adriatic, and escape from the subjection to the Central Powers, which was enforced by Austria's holdings on the Eastern coast. But the menace of Austria has ceased to exist, and even if it had not, Italy would be completely safeguarded by her acquisition of the Trentino and Southern Tyrol, the Istrian peninsula, with Trieste and Pola, and another port further south, Valona. Italy has nothing to lose, and much to gain, by securing the friendship of Jugo-Slavia. Concluding an article on the subject, the "Spectator" recently said that Italy's "many " friends in Britain are hoping that " she will make the right choice." Behind this courteous and good-natured comment, which is frequent in British newspapers, there is evidently a very strong foeling of disappointment ovor Italy's harsh insistence ugon the pound >of flesh contracted for in 1915, and serious disapproval of an attitude and spirit sharply at variance with the attitude and spirit of Britain and Britain's other partners. It is hardly credible that Italy would withdraw from the Paris Conference, because to do so would, in the circumstances, place Italy as far beyond the sympathy and comradeship of the Entente Powers as are Gormauy and her fellow-conspirators.

The public will be sorry to learn today that the men of the Second Division of the ltailway Service are contemplating a strike as a protest against the Minister's attitude towards their demands for increased pay and easier conditions of work. A secret vote of all the men is being taken, and it is j rumoured that the Auckland branch has already given its verdict in favour j of a strike unless the demands of the' men's Association are granted. AI great deal of correspondence between the Minister and the Association has/ been published from time to time, but perhaps the public have forgotten the main facts. On January 16th Mr 1 Herries informed the Association that he was arranging to meet the threo j railway societies in order to arrive at a general understanding concerning the wages and conditions of the whole railway service. - In' a further letter on January 29tbi ho asked the Association ] send delegate* to meet him, but the J