763.72119/2959: Telegram
The President of the Italian National Council of Fiume ( Grossich ) to the Acting Secretary of State 25
[Received December 9—6 p.m.]
The free city, port, and district of Fiume, which within the meaning of the laws and special conventions, formed part as a separate political body of the countries belonging to the Hungarian crown, availing itself of its indisputable national right and of the right of self-decision expressly recognized by the laws and by the civic statute, on October 30th, 1918, declared the Hungarian Government to have fallen and reconstituted itself into an independent political entity, with full state powers within the limits of its territory as determined by the [civic] laws. The exercise of the public powers was assumed by virtue of the will of the people by the national Italian council. The national council, in this its capacity as sovereign government of the free city, port, and district of Fiume, has the honor to bring the above to the knowledge of Your Excellency, while at the same time expressing its firm confidence that the absolute desire of the union of Fiume with Italy, as declared by the population through a plebiscitary manifestation, will be recognized by the Peace Conference. Very respectfully,
- Forwarded to Colonel House as Department’s telegram No. 174, Dec. 12, 1918, 4 p.m.↩