Copies of this protest have been forwarded to Colonel House’s
mission.
[Enclosure—Translation]
The Yougoslav Assembly
to the Allied Powers and the United
States
The Yougoslav Assembly, met at Paris, under the Presidency of Mr.
Jean Zujovic, former Minister for Foreign Affairs of Serbia,
[Page 342]
comprising all the
Serbians, Croatians and Slovaks, without distinction as to regions
or parties, solemnly and energetically protests to the Allied Powers
against the occupation by the Italian naval forces of the Adriatic
ports of Fiume and Zara, the islands of Curzola, Lissa, Lagosta, or
any other territory belonging to the Yougoslav nation.
It considers that this occupation constitutes a flagrant violation of
articles 3, 4, 6 and 8 of the Armistice of October 31st which order
the occupation “by the Allied Forces and the United States of
America”, of the territories evacuated by the Austro-Hungarian
forces.
It deplores, at the same time, that the territories in question,
forming an integral part of the Yougoslav national patrimony, were
in the Armistice Treaty considered as enemy territories subject to a
foreign military occupation, contrary to the spirit of the
declaration of President Wilson as of October 18th who recognized in
the most complete manner the justness of the national aspirations of
the Yougoslavs for liberty.
Imbued with faith in the wisdom and in the democratic spirit of the
powerful allies, and of the United States of America, the Yougoslav
Assembly solicits, in conformity with the declaration of responsible
statesmen of the Entente and of the United States of America, the
recognition of the Serbo-Yougoslav Government, as well as the
imprescriptible rights of the Yougoslav nation in the whole of the
territories which, according to the terms of the Declaration of
Corfu, appertain to the national Yougoslav patrimony.
In case of conflict with the Italian Government on the subject of the
delimitation of frontier territories, the Assembly deems that there
is need of a liberally organized plebiscite in the contested
territories.
Finally, the Assembly makes appeal to the sentiments of justice of
the Italian democracy for the cessation of a state of affairs
imcompatible with its traditions and with the principle of the right
of peoples to dispose of themselves.
Paris, November 13, 1918.
The President of the Assembly
Ivan M. Zujovic
The Rapporteur
L. De voinoitel
