Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1919-05-10
programme has proceeded to keep
tho game in her own basket. The Post
continues:

Another secret treaty comes to
light also, which bargained away
China's territory and sovereign rights
without her knowledge or consent
This secret treaty was made in Feb
ruary and March, 1917, and all
knowledge of it was withheld from
China which entered the war as a
faithful ally in August 1917 not know
ing that Great Britain and France
had already agreed to support the
transfer to Japan of Gcrmanys hold
'ingS in Shantung. 1t does not appear
that Italy was Il party to the treaty.
The treaty requires Great Britain
and France to stand by Japan in the
peace conference and they have done
SO.
1t is being ascertaincd now that
practically all of those European ma
tons were "tarred with the same
stick" and that when it was prcsum
cd that all virtue was on one side and
that all the deviltry was on the other
side, fundamental blunder was made
by the United States of America. The
German Government has always been
anxious to get the Allies around the
peace table. The reason is now appar
cnt. President Wilson'S Fourteen
Points, to which all Of tho Allies sub
scribed is now beginning to look like
a joke and The reading Of its specific
provisions is evidently evoking
smile of derision from those who had
reluctantly agreed to those drastic
provisions. The Post continues:
Where is the new order in Eur
ope' and the inflcXihle and impair
tial application of the fourteen points?
The Chinese statement is Il wither-
ing Indictment of the Paris conference
as Il body devoted to the creation OF
open covenants openly arrived at.
First against Italy, and now against
China, tho American delegates have
adopted position that is incompat-
iblc with the spirit OF America and
repugnant to all ideas Of the square
deal" In one case the American dele
CATION has taken the lead proposing
to deprive Il friendly nation of It's ter
ritory, largely OH the ground that the
nation in question was involved in n
secret and therefore illegitimate
treaty. In the other case, the Ameri-
can delegation has not taken the lead
but it has acquiosced in putting into
effect secret treaty which dcprivos
another friendly nation of it's terri
tory.
In both cases tho representatives
OF tho United States have como lar
a1lalu, entering INTO the alIairs OIL
unothor hemisphere and i'll one case
at least actually preSuming to appor-
ton out territory to European ma
l..ns accorulng 10 map made by
the Americans.
This is openly charging President
Wilson and his associates with not
giving China a square deal" Has the
American Government given tho col.
ored soldiers and their families and
their friends In this country "a square
deal?" You cannot treat one class of
people wrong without ultimately
treating another class OF people tho
same way. Germany declared repeat ;
cdly that secret agreement or treaty
existed between Great Britain and
Belgium. Does this account for the
protests now being sent to tho Peace
Conference from that country with
demands that tho representatives
from that patriotic country refuse to
sign tho peace treaty? Tho Post pro-
pounds most interesting question
when it asks:
What authority was ever given by
the people or Congress OF the United
States for these acts? What connect
ion have these territorial Quarrels
with the plain duty of the United
States to make peace with Germany
following victory gained by the shed
ding of American blood for an Amcri-
can cause?
This is a plea for an independent
treaty OF peace with Germany, regard
less of the attitude OF tho Allies. 1t
is even more emphatic when 1t says:
fy Egysc-.- r-scs~--7.'r7-----T-'-- +
.
It is impossible for patriotic Amcri-
cans to view the proceedings at Paris
with their daily disclosure of embar-
easements, complications and growing
without heartily wish
ing that the policy Of steering clear
of foreign acknowledgements had been
rigidly followed by the executive in
the conduct Of the war and the peace
Nothing but resentment
has been gained for Americans by
the Plume controversy, and nothing
but resentment and deep distrust can
be eXDcctcd TO flow from tho Chinese