, 1921-07-10
DECEPTIVE FOREIGN NEWS.

We on this side Of the Atlantic may stir SIew with
more or less suspicion the news from the other SIDE
especially the English dispatches. Recently the Amer
lean state department felt compelled, in view. OF cable
grams widely published in American newspapers, to
make the following statement;
"In view of a dispatch Of The Associated Press,
With respect to the renewal Of the Anglo-Japanese al
lance, to the effect that it is understood that the
state department has been kept fully informed Of the
plans of the British government and that it has been
given assurance that in the renewal of the treaty
every precaution will be taken to guard against the
inclusion of anything inimical to American right it
is deemed proper 10 say that the state department Is
not informed with respect to plans Of the British gov
eminent and has received no assurances in the mat
ter"
When the Associated Press correspondent in Lon
don asserted that sit is understood that the state de-
partment has been kept fully informed he undoubt-
edly had received Sach information from some Off
cial source. The correspondent of a news agency
with the high standing of the Associated Press must
also have had official authority for his statement that
the state department has been given assurances that
in a renewal of the AngloJapanese treaty every pre-
caution will be taken to guard against the inclusion
of anything inimical to American right.
1t appears, therefore, that misleading statements
are given out from official sources in Great Britain for
the information of the United States. The inaccu-
racy was so great and the subject matter so impor-
tant that the department of state felt it necessary. for
its own protection and for the guidance of the Amer
lean people to issue a denial. II, as seems an newt
able inference, British authorities are thus spreading
untrue propaganda in the United States, this will not
be the first instance Of the kind. Moreover, if further
explanation IN TINS particular instance, 10 winch the
country is entitled and which it will certainly expect,
discloses that British authorities have been deliber-
ately resorting to deception, the people of America
will find a way of manifesting their resentment
1t must be admitted that the United States, owing
to the delinquency of some of its officials, has not
always dealt entirely with f~rankness in the perform
ance of its undertakings. When the treaty of peace
with Germany had been completed and a treaty of al
lance for purposes q iefense was negotiated between
Great Britain, France and the United States, the con-
GLIDING paragraph of this second treaty provided that
this treaty would be submitted to the senate at the
same time as the treaty of peace. Notwithstanding
that explicit provision, Mr.. Wilson did not submit the
treaty of defense alliance at the same time that he
submitted the treaty with Germany. Neither did he
inform the country of the existence of such a treaty
until forced by public discussion.
While this breach of faith on the part of a high
American official must be admitted with no small de-
gree of humiliation yet it can be said in defense of
the people of the United States that at the first OPP
portunity they r~epudiate the official who had thus
brought discredit upon their government. If officials
in Great Britain have been guilty of misleading the
peoples of that nation and the United States they
should be rebuked in a manner no less decisive than
that by which the people of the United States rebuked
their chief executive. There can be no satisfactory
relations between two great world powers unless there
is frankness and sincerity in international commune
cations.