Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1919-10-04
blood Of Americans in strange quar-

his Is StrOnB language, but 1t Is
true. This is an era Of hypocrisy, the
processing Of one thing and the doing
of another, the advocacy Of open di-
plomacy, openly arrived at and then
the denying to the Senate of the Unit
cd States information to which it was
entitled. And again:
The supreme council at Paris was
charged with the duty of making on
effective peace by imposing its own
terms upon Il powcrloss enemy. The
toancil had the worlds triumphant
power concentrated in it's hand 1t
held the power of life and death
over nations. 1t was not restrained
by instructions, for it was composed
of the individuals who originated i'll
structions. 1t was not amcnablc to
any written constitution. 1t made
its rules as it went along. 1t defined
its own limitations and laid down its
own principles of action. AS a creator
IS greater than its creature, so tho
conference was greater than Il league
of nations.
Yet when the test came, this all
powerful body proved failure, as
tine is now revealing. 1t failed be
cause it feared the peoples and pre-
Sumcd to set itself above them i'll
wisdom and virtue. 1t dared not sub
nit to the peoples of the world a
daily complete record Of its doings,
because those doings would not bear
the light of truth and justice.
Those doings consisted of bargainings
over secret treaties made before ana
during the war, which actually trans
fcrred peoples about as though they
We're chattels, exactly as President
Wilson declared would never be toicr
atcd again.
This is drastic indictment, not
only of the representatives and plen-
of the Allies, but the
Chief Executive Of the United States
OF America as we'll. 1t was Il break
ing Of faith with the people Of this
country i'll particular and the nations
of the world in general. How can
President Woodrow Wilson explain
this statement of affairs, which state
mcnt is admittedly true? 1t says
further:
In the course of Nhis bargaining
all tho victorious powers became in
volvcd, the United States included.
Thus, Il secret treaty required the
to sanction the mutilation OF
one Of their own allies. Lacking the
courage to tramplc down that infam
Gus secret bargain, the conference &C
ceptod it, and for all time wrote 1t
self down the betrayer OF China. Lack
ing the courage to go forth and be-
friend the Russian people. who had
suffered 65 per cent of the death loss
es Of the allies, the conference actual
ly proposed to meet the slayers OF
Russia, with view to making such
Il peace with them as would leave
them in control of their spOils. Con
frontcd with IL dilemma arising from
an effort to reconcile two irrcconcil-
able peace points," the conference
denied to Italians the right to live
under the Italian flag. Finally, over
whc!med by problems caused by the
conflict between Justice and secret
treaties the conference dumped doZ
en- incipient wars into an article of
Al, |, ia n
league of nations should become SOW
creign over territory conquered from
Germany, Turkey, Austria and Bull
garia. The nations anxious to gain
control over these enemy territories
are now beginning the process which
ends in war.
IF this be true, how can this coun-
try avoid going into another world
conflagration? How can we get out
of the agreements made 10y our re-
representatives. at the Peace Table for
the sending Of American troops not
only to Europe, but to Asia in order
to engage in the broils of the GA
World? Time alone can answer this
question. The Post sums up the sit
uation as follows:
Europc's policy of saying one thing
and doing another is Europe's con-
Germ. If Europe wishes to talk Of open
diplomacy and continue the practice
Of making secret treaties, let Europe
do so. If Europe has made secret
treaties intended to offset the provis
ions of the proposed league OF ma
lions, there is no means whereby
Americans can even know of the
act, much less prevent it. But Amcri
cans can keep the United States out
Of the intrigucs, broils, cnmities and
wars resulting from secret bargains
If they wish to do so.
Will Americans do this? We have
paid dearly for our experiences on