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

, continues:
Another secret treaty comes to
light also. which bargaincd 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
Faithful ally in August 1917 not know
ing that Great Britain and France
had already agreed to support the
transfer to Japan Of Gcrmany's hold
'ingS in Shantung. 1t does not appear
that Italy was Il party to the treaty.
Tho treaty requires Great Britain
and France to stand by Japan in the
peace conference and they have done
so.
1t is being asccrtaincd now that
practically all Of those European ma
tions were "tarrcd with the same
stick and that when it was prcsum
ed that all virtue was Oh one side and
that all the deviltry was on the other
side fundamental blundcr 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 The Allies sub
scribcd is now beginning to look like
;nl
provisions is evidently cvoking
smile Of dcrision from those who had
reluctantly agreed to those drastic
provisions. The Post continues:
Where is the new order in Eur
ope' and the infleXiblc and impair
tial application of the fourteen points?
The Chinese statement is 4 wthcr-
ing Indictment of the Paris conference
as body devoted to the creation Of
open covenants openly arrived at.
First against Italy, and now against
China, the American delegates have
adopted position that is incOmpat
ihlc with the spirit of America and
rcpuSnant to all ideas Of the Square
deal" III one case the American dele
cation has taken the lead proposing
to deprive n friendly nation Of its ter
ritory, largely on the grolnd that the
nation in question was involved in n
secret and therefore illcgitimate
treaty. In the other case. the Ameri
can delegation has not taken the lead
but it has acquicsccd in putting into
effect Il secret treaty which dcpriyos
another friendly nation OF its terri
tory.
III both cases tho representatives
OF the United States have COMO lar
aIlu!d, entering INTO inc anairS OF
another hemisphere and III one case
at least actually prcSuming TO appor-
ton out territory to European ma
L..,,, according 10 map made by
the Americans.
This is openly charging President
Wilson and his associates with not
giving China II square deal" Has the
American Government given tho col.
orod soldiers and thcir families and
their friends in this country "a square
deal?" You cannot treat one class of
'treating another class OF people tho
same way. Germany declared repeat
cdly that n 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 the peace treaty? Tho Post pro-
pounds n most interesting question
when it asks:
What authority was over given by
the people or Congress Of the United
States for these acts? What connect
ion have these territorial Quarrcls
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 plea for an independent
treaty OF peace with Germany, regard
less of the attitude of tho Allies. 1t
is even more emphatic when it says:
fy-o-.yss-7r-s~ ~<---7-~-7-------'
It is impossible for patriotic Amcri-
cans to view the proceedings at Paris
with their daily disclosure of embar-
easements, complications and growing
r"scntmcnts, without heartily wish
ing that the policy Of steering clear
of foreign entanglcments had been
. rigidly followed by the executive in
. the conduct OF the war and the peace
adjustments. Nothing but resentment
has been gained for Americans by
the Plume controversy, and nothing
but resentment and deep distrust can
be expected to flow from the Chinese
controversy. The confidence in and