Sidney Sonnino

The Allied governments have noted with pleasure the declaration made by the Secretary of State of the United States government in referring to the resolutions of the Rome Congress and Austro-Hungarian nationalities and desire to associate themselves in an expression of earnest sympathy for the nationalistic aspirations towards freedom of the Czechoslovak and Yugo Southern Slav peoples.

peoples.The regrettable weakness of the second declaration, which followed very closely the wording of Mr. Lansing's earlier announcement on behalf of the United States government, was entirely due to the opposition of Baron Sonnino, Italian Foreign Minister, who rejected the stronger declarations prepared by Mr. Balfour and the French Foreign Minister, Monsieur Pichon.

It was a retrogressive step by Italy from the position she had taken at the Rome Congress, at which her Prime Minister had expressly associated himself with the terms of the Italo-Southern Slav Agreement that recognized the, quote, unity and independence of the Yugoslav nation as a vital Italian interest, end quote.

In regard to the Czechoslovaks, the British, French, and Italian governments had already recognized the Czechoslovak army under the Bohemian National Council as an allied force.

Towards the end of June, Mr. Lansing made considerable advance with a definite statement that the United States aimed at the complete liberation of all Slav peoples from Austro-German domination.

While Lord Northcliffe and his associates were striving hard in London to retrieve the opportunities thus wasted, the propaganda organization in Italy was making remarkable progress despite the vacillations of the politicians.

Undoubtedly, the reactionary attitude of Baron Sonnino at Versailles influenced adversely the response of the Southern Slav troops in the Austrian ranks to the appeals made by the propaganda leaflets.

Nevertheless, there was a considerable amount of desertion from the Austro-Hungarian army.