for Fiume,[199] the Italian delegates contended that although not
promised to Italy by the Treaty of London, it was historically hers,
because, having been for centuries an autonomous entity and having as
such religiously preserved its Italian character, its inhabitants had
exercised their rights to manifest by plebiscite their desire to be
united with the mother country. They further denied that it was
indispensable to the Jugoslavs because these would receive a dozen other
ports and also because the traffic between Croatia and Fiume was
represented by only 7 per cent. of the whole, and even that of Croatia,
Slavonia, and Dalmatia combined by only 13 per cent. Further, Italy
would undertake to give all requisite export facilities in Fiume to the
Jugoslavs.

The latter traversed many of these statements, and in particular that
which described Fiume as a separate autonomous entity and as an
essentially Italian city. Archives were ransacked by both parties,
ancient documents produced, analyzed, condemned as forgeries or appealed
to as authentic proofs, chance phrases were culled from various writers
of bygone days and offered as evidence in support of each contention.
Thus the contest grew heated. It was further inflamed by the attitude of
Italy's allies, who appeared to her as either covertly unfriendly or at
best lukewarm.

M. Clemenceau, who maintained during the peace negotiations the epithet
"Tiger" which he had earned long before, was alleged to have said in the
course of one of those conversations which were misnamed private, "For
Italy to demand Fiume is to ask for the moon."[200] Officially he took
the side of Mr. Wilson, as did also the British Premier, and Italy's two
allies signified but a cold assent to those other claims which were
covered by their own treaty. But they made no secret of their desire to
see that instrument wholly set aside. Fiume they would not bestow on
their ally, at least not unless she was prepared to offer an equivalent
to the Jugoslavs and to satisfy the President of the United States.

This advocacy of the claims of the Jugoslavs was bitterly resented by
the Italians. For centuries the two peoples had been rivals or enemies,
and during the war the Jugoslavs fought with fury against the Italians.
For Italy the arch-enemy had ever been Austria and Austria was largely
Slav. "Austria," they say, "was the official name given to the cruel
enemy against whom we fought, but it was generally