Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-05-08
PUBLIC LEDGER-PH HIIAD DELPHIA SATURDAY, MAY 1920


this expectation Of food from starving.
Italy In order to Illustrate Austria's
economic union with the Czechs and
Jugo -Slavsl
This Humanitarian" plot Of Italian
secret diplomacy has been Successful.
The Servian Government, alarmed at
the intimacy Of Austria with the in
veterate Italian enemies of the NJugo-
Slavs, has suspended the application OF
Its economic contract with Vienna. The
spirit Of reconciliation in Prague has
given place to distrust and suspicion.
For the time being all hopes OF es-
tablishing an economic federation of the
Danube, which is the only possibility
Of resuscitating Austria and preventing
the return Of the Hapsburgs, have van
ished. Central Europe and the Bal
kans are In as chaotic and tragic a
plight as ever. And this has been
achieved by Italian secret diplomacy,
under the mask Of humanitarianism and
Christian love!
No wish to injure Italy or the Ital-
ian people inspires this plain statement
Of facts. Were It not my sincere con
viction that Italian secret diplomacy,
like British secret diplomacy, Is pre-
eipitating the ruin of its own country
and promoting chaos throughout the
world, this exposure Of the foolish and
futile plots Of European statesmen
would never have been penned.
In their petty desire to harm the
Jugo- -Slavs, the italian secret diplo-
matists have not hesitated to intrigue
with the foes Of the Entente, to which
their country still belongs, With Hun
gary and Bulgaria, and even to lay the
occult foundations of a new triple ALI
ance between Italy, Germany and boil
shevist Russia.
They are even now melting the Bull
garians to arm against Servia, and the
Moptenegrins to revolt against the Bel
grade government. They are secretly
encouraging the Hungarians to refuse
to sign the peace and to defyLthe Allies
the smoldering fire of dispute between
Poland and Czecho- Slovakia over the
territory Of Teschen.
Grim Catastrophe Impending
All this energy. all this political sub
tlety and enterprise. is being wasted on
the imperialistic intrigues of secret di.
plomacy at time when Italy and all
the countries around her are on the
very verge Of catastrophe more terrible
than the most ruthless invasions and
disasters of war, in days of distress
and madness when armed peasants, des-
perate for bread, are terrorizing the
Italian countryside and crazed workers
are seizing the factories In which the
highest wages and the shortest hours
can no longer induce them to work.
Nor are the statesmen Of other Eu
ropean nations innocent of the sin oi
secret diplomacy.
Far from it.
Wherever the observer in Europe to.
day turns his gaze. he can detect secret
diplomacy at work.
Poland is intriguing to obtain con
troll Of the Ukraine.
Lithuania is conspiring against Po'
land while making peace with the boil
sheviki.
Constantinoplc is a labyrinth of Sc
cret plotting. where the occult intrigue'
of all European and Oriental govern
ments cross and intertwine in an amaz
ing tangle of dishonesty and deceit.
Armenia. Syria. Egypt, the new eau
casian renublics are all objects of dip
lomatic consplracies. in which the mas
ters of western and eastern duplicit!
strive to outwit each other. sowing dis
card and suspicion, bribing and cor
rupting whole nations and unwittingl.
consummating their own ultimate ruil
and confusion.
Were it not that the nations Of Eu
rope are so utterly broken by the grea
war, innumerable new wars woul'
burst into fame all over the old >worl'
TODAY. Ancient enemies would becom
new allies in ruthless aggression, oil
comrades would find themselves killini
each other on new battlefelds.
Fortunately, Europe Is too exhausted
even for secret diplomacy to plunge l
into new wars. 1t is evil and Ominou
enough that the secret plotters in tn
European cabinets are promoting an
archie unrest, both unconsciously an,
deliberately. For, while they struggl
to suppress it in their own country the!
madly foment it in other countries the!
wish to weaken, and are thus advancing
Lenine's plans of Red conquest.
Tay the Allied statesmen realize thei
danger in time and, laying aside th'
Stratagems of secret diplomacy, joir
hands again in an honest alliance, lik,
that which bound their soldiers in lif,
and death on the battlefield, against thu
new menace of Red Imperialism Il
tbe great Allied powers but achieve CO.
oneration among themselves, instead o.
breaking up their alliance over the ques'
t;on of co operation with the forces thai
sought and still seek to destroy them
there Is hope for Europe yet.
But il they fail, they will drag al
Europe with them into the pit which
secret diplomacy is digging deeper every
day.