Honorable Lawrence Y. Sherman,

U. S. Senator,

Washington, D. C.

Dear Sir:

We take great pleasure in informing you that at the meeting of the Board of Directors of the Chicago Italian Chamber of Commerce held last Friday, August 11, a resolution was unanimously passed, thanking you for submitting to the Senate the resolution relative to the appeal of the City of Fiume which, we understand, has been referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

We beg to call your attention to the recent Austrian memorandum to the Peace Conference on the attitude of the different people of former Austria toward this state before and during war, which the Conference kept secret, but which a correspondent of the Chicago Daily News succeeded in obtaining, and an analysis of which was published in the issue of July 9, of the Daily News.

This memorandum states that the Austria-Hungarian monarchy made the war among other reasons, in the interest of the Croats and Slovaks against the Italians; that the war against Italy was popular with Jugo-Slavs then subject to Austria; and that the Jugo-Slav soldiers were among the best and most faithful in the Hapsburg armies. The representative of the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovaks at the Peace Conference, Dr. Ivan Zolger, is a former member of the Austrian war cabinet.

Austria fought, according to the memorandum, so that the Jugo-Slavs might prevail over the Italians, and this combat represented the apotheosis of the historic struggle between the Italians and Jugo-Slavs for the Adriatic coast.

The Austrian memorandum further declares that when the Jugo-Slavs, for whom the war was fought and who today are still fighting for the same ends, designate their comardes in arms of yesterday as the principal criminals in the war, or even as their adversaries in the war, they are flinging a challenge in the very face of truth.

It is therefore quite apparent that the responsibility for the war is shared alike by the Jugo-Slavs, formerly subject to Austria, and by Germany and it is difficult to understand why, while the latter country is to be severely punished, its accomplices, the Croats and Slovaks of Austria are to be glorified and have been made the object of so much tender care and solicitude by the American delegation to the Peace Conference, notwithstanding the fact that in this war they were fighting the United States, as well as Italy and other allied nations. If the Italian population on the eastern shores of the Adriatic is to be delivered into the hands of the most bitter enemies, who are now planning to revive under another name the defunct Austrian power, the 500,000 lives, and the wealth which Italy give to the cause of freedom, will have been sacrificed with the result of perpetuating the very conditions which her glorious victory was forever to end.

Italy is, and has always been, willing to concede to the Jugo-Slavs all that they may be justly entitled to, and to allow and even to help with the full development of their national life, as well as their commercial activities, but she should not be compelled to crucify herself in order to testify to the false claims and exaggerated pretentions of her foes.

As American citizens, for the love that we bear this country of our adoption and for its honor, we sincerely trust that the United States will never consent to be a participant in this injustice, unparalleled in history, or in this crime against humanity.

It will probably be objected that the proposed League of Nations will afford a remedy against the evils Italy fears. We think that it is extremely doubtful whether the League will accomplish all that is expected of it in 5certain quarters. England and France are evidently of the opinion that it will not, since they are seeking protection against aggression in a special agreement, or alliance, with this country while such protection should be sufficiently furnished by the League. If we are to make an alliance of this kind with those countries, then why not with other powers also for similar or other purposes? We take this opportunity of expressing to you our belief that while it is most likely that the United States will be unable entirely to keep clear of many future European complications, the best interests of this country require that it may be free to meet circumstances as they arise, and that it should not be committed in advance to any alliance with England, France, or any other nation, and particularly to any agreement as one-sided as the proposed one.

The National Council of Fiume, in its proclamation of October 28, 1918, announcing the annexation of that city to Italy, declared that it placed its decision under the protection of "America, Mother of Liberty." We dare say that our feeling or pride in the trust expressed by the people of our blood across the sea in this, our adopted country, was shared by all the several million citizens of Italian birth or descent in the United States. The American 6delegation to the Peace Conference, unfortunately, did not respond to the appeal of the Italians formerly subjects of Austria, and they now are looking for justice and relief to that august body, the Senate of the United States. We confidently believe that they will not do so in vain. We hope that the Senate will pass the resolution favoring the just claims of the Italian Government, and should the Conference not heed it, that it will refuse to ratify the treaty of peace with Austria, unless it specifically provided for the annexation of Fiume, as well as the rest of Istria, Trieste, the Trentino, and such parts of Dalmatia as Italy is entitled to under the Treaty of London with Italy.

America, we believe, is still the "Mother of Liberty." Using the power of the United States, in clear defiance of the principle of self determination, to crush a population which has announced its will to be a part of the Italian nation, and which is Italian by all historical, geographical and cultural, as well as ethnological, reasons is a proposition which has no place in any vision of the American people.

It has been reported that at some date in the near future you, may come to Chicago to address the people on the vital issues of the day. We wish to assure you that, should you decide to do so, many thousand citizens of our nation will be glad to hear you and cordially welcome you.

Yours respectfully,

The Italian Chamber of Commerce

Frank Bragno, president.

THE SENATOR SHERMAN RESOLUTION PRESENTED IN THE SENATE JUNE 30, 1919.

Whereas, The Council of Fiume has appealed to the Senate of the United States as the true representative of the American people, to secure encouragement and help in its desire to be annexed to its mother country, Italy, and

Whereas, the population of the City of Fiume has by referendum vote asserted its principle of self determination as expounded by the President of the United States of America, and

Whereas, The Council of the City of Fiume has appealed to the United States of America as the representative body of a liberty, loving humanity, serving people, and

Whereas, there is not yet before the Senate of America any treaty upon which its members could intelligently express any sentiment of approval or disapproval, either for or against the aspirations of any European nation, and

Whereas, the failure to act on the part of the Senate of the United States might be construed as its refusal to heed the voice of the oppressed people of the world, who long for liberty and self determination and the pursuit of happiness, or its indifference to the same, therefore be it

Resolved, that the Senate of the United States send to the recently delivered population of Fiume its sincere expression of heartfelt sympathy, together with the assurance that the representatives of the American people will do their full duty according to the best traditions of this great Republic, in defense of liberty, humanity, and the principle of self determination, so that the blood of its generous children shed on the battle fields of Europe to save unfortunates from militarism and oppression, shall not have been in vain.