America. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1905-current, 1920-04-19

owned railways. Then the Germans
lost all interest in the unfortunate
Jews.
President Wilson and his success
sors in the Supreme Council never
realized that bitter background of
experience made the Rumanians re-
main obdurate in the determination
not to accept the renewal Of the
Berlin clauses and the signing of
any annex to the Treaty Of Steer
main pledging themselves to ac-
count to "the Principal Allied and
Associated Powers for their treat
ment Of minoritics. Instead of re.
cognizing well-founded suspicion
OF sinister motive behind the Je.
wish and other minority clauses
our delegates took the word Of Bri
tish and French diplomats that the
Rumanians were stubborn and un.
grateful. Premier Bratianu told me
that he never was given the oppor-
tunlty OF explaining the Rumanian
point of view to President Wilson.
The Rumanians were put down for
Jew-baitcrs and oppressors of O.
thcr nationalities, for imperialists
in foreign policy and oligarchs in
domestic policy. Their hcroism in
the war, their sacrifices, and their
essential contribution to Allied sue
cess counted for nothing.
The Rumanian attitude regar-
ding the Jews was simply this: at
Berlin they had offered to grant
full citizenship to Jews if Russia
would take a similar obligation. 1t
would be sheer madness automati
cally to give citizenship to immi-
grants and children of immigrants
so long as Russia continued to on,
press the Jews. In few years Rn-
mania would have been ,swampcd.
In 1917, when the old regime dis
appeared in Russia. citizenship
was voted to native Jews Of Ruma-
MA They were already enfranchi-
sed; renewal Of the Berlin stipu-
lations and making a new compact
with the powers were unnecessary.
Rumanla did not intend to give the
powers a weapon for interfering in
her internal affairs. AS for the mi
norltles in the new territories. thev
We're amply protected already by
the provisions in the acts of union
that had been presented to the pea
&c conference. What further pled
ges were necessary, and why should
Humanla put her head into the
moose OF signing an annex with the
big powers which would enable
them to find a pretcxt at any time
to blackmail Rumania for economic
concessions by stirring up trouble ?
We must remember that eXperien-
&c had taught the Rumanians that
the diplomacy of all the big powers
was the same; no distinctions in be-
havior and honorable dealing could
be made in favor of any great po-
wer.
AS | do not want my readers to-
take my statement for gospel in
matter so important as this, | re
fer them to Articla 60 of the Trea-
fy OF St.-Germain. The first half
of this article requires Rumania to
beforehand to whatever sti
pulations the Principal Allied
aud Associated Powers may sec
int to make for the protection of
minorities. 1t is signing a blank
heck, and reminds one of the phra-
'eology Of the Treaty of Versailles.
Is this the language to adopt when
ally speaks to ally? The second
oalf OF the article virtually puts
he waterways and railways of Ru-
mania under the control of the biz
We remember how the CO.
lncil of Versailles denounced the
nfamy Of Germany in endeavoring
% tie Rumania hand and foot in
he Treaty of Bucharest. The Sc
'ond part of Article 60 in the AL
les own treaty imposes identical
'ervitude upon Rumania, with the
Of the control of banks
IT rivers. Go to the sources. Com
'are the two treaties. Premier Bra
lanu, in voice trembling with in
llgnation, told the plottcrs what
he thought of them. Did they for
ret they were talking to an ally
md an equal?