The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1919-02-04
Lansing Not Cognizant.

Lansing, st as practically Certain,
could not have been cogn fzaHts OF the
secret treaties when he made this
pronouncemeIt. If he :Were.. It would
have meant that he was sylnpat efic
with the whole program Of Iihperia-
list annexations:ce cen tafned IN the
Anglo-Franco-R Russ6- aIiaMe treaty .,f
1915, or with the ofher secret dfplo-
matte uld erstandings whi III may be
compared to gloEifed rivers and
Aarbors BILL giving to each lon
which opposed Germany exactly what
1t wants. 5ss.$@s. sF
II the United States government
had been familiar with the allies
secret compacts and had then, with
full knowledge, put Its sealSof APP
proyal on them through the head of
the state department, 1t would have
amounted to assuring the allies that
the American: armies would fight
until the guarantee in the secret
treaties were accomplished. And the
very fact that President Wilson is
now In Paris strenuonsly opposing
fnIfllment Of many Of these commit
ments appearstto be positive proof
that Lansing's statement was pre-
dicted upon non possession Of the
Z treaties i: IN
NJ .copy rosrt 8 rthoona,ine. i
In facts the writer was informed
by member Of the bureau Of public
information that the president him
self had complained Of his Inability
to obtain a.copyo the secret treaties.
III wonldssappear di ifieult to under
stand why the United States should
have gone to war without first famfl-
iarizing itself with all European
agreements relating to war aims. On
the other hand, itWould seem equally
hard to uliderstana why the allied
governments allowed the United
States to remain In ignorance. But
the sixteenth article Of the treaty OF
1915 largely explains this peculiar
action on the part of the allies. 1t
shows the fo,Irss gnatory powers were
pledged tda keep the treaty under
cover. Itssbegins with the words:
This treaty must be kept secret :
Again. In the secret telegram from
Sazonoff, the Cars foreign minister
to the Russian: ambassador In Paris,
dated Feb. IA, 1915, is revealed a
further reason for secrecy. This tele-
gram says:
Politics Interferred.
Political: agreements entered into
among the allies during the war
should remain unalterable and are
not subject to revision. This refers
to our agreement with France and
England about Constantfnople and
the Straits, Syria and Asia Minor,
and also the London agreement with
italy. All propositions as to future
at this moment premature, but at the
same time II: isS,to 1 be remembered
that we are ready to grant to France
and England complete freedom in
fixing the limitations Of the western
German boundary depending that
the allies inetheir turn will grant us
freedom in fixing our boundaries
with Germany Austria
Another Reason.
Another reason for past conceal
ment of the secret treaties and the
existing desire for secret sessions at
Versailles lies in the embarrassment
that would result from disclosure of
the 18th article of the London pact,
which provides as follows:
France, England and Russia OBJ
ligate themselves to support Italy IN
her desire for non-admittance of the
Holy See to any kind of diplomatic
steps for the purpose Of the conclu-
sion of peace or, the regulation Of
questions arisinga from the present
war" = -. :. ,,,,s ~
In view, OF such AM understanding,
1t is obvious that for the United