The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1919-01-30
Come 10 Light After America
Entered the w ar; Believed
Wilson Didn't Know ;
ALLIES SAY ARE ONLY
INFORMAL MEMORANDA
Must BE Abrogated Before
Real League Of Nations Can
I. Be Made Possible II =
By, Amos Pinchot..

: wv
t. Washington, Jan. 30.--The United
States apparently entered the war III
Ignorance ot the secret treaties ar
ranged by the allies, which now con-
stitnte an obstacle to a permanent,
.democratic peace. q. r.. ;. 4,
There Is every reason to. DeAeVe
that neither President Wilson nor the
state department learned OF the
secret treaties until months after
war was declared, in April, 1914.
I It is also practically certain that
when Foreign Secretary Balfour and
former Premier Viviani came here
searly IN tie summer of 19l7,* as
heads Of the British and French mis-
sions, they, failed to apprise this gov
ernment OF the existence OF the
freaties-for the reason there was an
understanding between the British,
French. Italian and Russian govern
ments that they should be kept under
Texts Smugeled Here. :.
The text Of; the secret%treaties was
smuEgled Into the United States by
= Russian sailor I'm January, 1913.
Rusaiau residents of New York
placed them In the hands OF the
writer. Every effort was made to
/ Riva the treaties publicity. They
were. NE III, pub blisiled In one nc VS.
|. .rfDSr gcf limited circulation, but be-
Yoiid that q general press taboo
so9med to have been placed on them.
Nanny attempts were made to con-
vince senators and congressman that
4ft WAS their duty to put the secret
{ treaties into the Congressional
!: Record. but they contended either
,Ehst, It was "impossible" or "un-
patriotic. It is not believed that
sven today q score Of senators and
congressman have read the secret
treaties in their entirety.
: t.t.. s.yz. Said Not Binding.
Z Represen tatives of allied countries
have been quoted as saying there are
no binding secret treaties, but only
INFORMAL memoranda. The British
french ch-Italian-Russian treaty, how
ever. is by no means an informal
nenoranda. On the contrary, 1t Is
ID. binding contract sealed and deliv-
In London, April 26,r 1915, and gen.
orally referred to as the London
Pact 1t was signed by Grey. for
Great Britain, Canon for France,
ImperiaH for Italy and Benckendorf
for Russia. It is the contract setting 6
forth the price to be paid for Italy
entering the war "with all the forces
at. Her command" The treaty has
sixteen articles, which provide for
vast territorial concessions to he
matie to Italy under the imminent
treaty Of peace - The word "immi-
nent,, was no doubt used because, at
that time, 1t was generally assumed
that Italy's intervention would bring
a Quick and favorable decision. -
= Raises Two Conflicts. -.
This treaty is the source OF at least
two seemingly irreconcilab conflicts
as 10 the peace settlement, which
have sprung up since Wilson arrived
in Europe. First, as to the question
whether the settlement shall pro-
vide for league Of natious, or for
continuance of the old balance Of
power" plan, which has proven so
fertile "a war-breeder. And, second,
as to whether Italy or the new Jugo-
Slay nation shall control Dalmatia
and the eastern coast Of the Adriatic.
History seemingly proves that
whenever a group Of nations gets
together with the purpose Of massing
such q preponderance of force that
the rest of the world will be cowed
into peace, the result has been the
exact opposite. For instance, In
1889, under Bismarck's leadership,
Germany, Austria and Italy formed
the Triple Alliance, which created a
combination of power dominating
Central Europe from the Baltic to
the Mediterranean. In 1891, France
and Russia formed dual alliance
as a counter-balance. Later, by the
addition of Great Britain, this grew
into the Triple Entente. These .alli-
ances were fertile and resulted in
war a>
r. Must Be Abrogated. =
Notwithstanding this, if the atti-
tude Of Clemenceau, and Orlando and
even Lloyd George at times seems to
call for another alliance to establish
another balance of power" the fact
is not altogether surprising for Ar
ticla 9 OF the treaty of April rs, 1915,
pledges the allies to preserve "the
balance OF power in the Mediter-
ranean sea, with its Gtbrafter, its
openings into the Adratic and the