The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-12-07
REGRET TREATY PROLONGED WAR,
 AvOWS CZERNIN
Agreement Negotiated Be tween England, Fraeace, Italy, Rumania Brought Latter Countries into Con- flict.

Paris, Dec. 7-secret agreements, negotiated by the British anu French Foreign Offices, in 1915, to bring Italy and Rumania into the war actually prolonged the war nearly two years, at the cost of hundreds of thousands Of human lives.
 Count Czernin, former Austrian Foreign Minister, made this revelation to Georges Moresthe, special corre- spondent of the International News Service and Le Petit Journal, in a statement at Vienna, one of the few public declarations made since the war ended. These agreem ents, he said, made it absolutely impossible for the peace efforts made by former Enn- peror Charles of Austria, in 1917, act Ing through President Wilson, Pre- nier Clemenceau and the Prince of Bourbon to succeed.
 Count Czernin said that he did not want to discuss in any manner Charles himself.
 This reservation having been made" he continued, "I have no hesi- tancy in saying that peace was not concluded in 1917 between the En- tente and Austria Git was conceded that this would have brought peace with Germany because it was abso- luteiy impossible.
 France and England, to obtain al- lies, lad promised to pay them at the natural. but these engagements made by the Governments of London and Paris, fatally tied the Double-Mon- archys s interests to those of Germany.
 "Some of the ''Plums.''
 t"The treaty of London, concluded In 1915 between France, England. Russia and Italy. promised to Italy the Trentino, German Tyrol. Trieste and Dalmatia. Another treaty att tributed Bosnia and Herzegovina to Serbia, and later Rumania was in duced to enter the war the side of the Allies by offering her Transylva- 1ia and Bakovina.
 'The Allies had thus sold one-third of our Empire in advance, certainly not because of special hatred of Aus tria-Hungary, but to increase their military forces and their chances of victory. The misfortune was that Aus rtia was to support by herself the cost of this policy. France and Eng land, in 1917, could have easily made peace with us, but, bound by secret treaties, they could only offer condi- lions to Austria Hungary which would satisfy the aspirations of the Italians, the Serbians and the Rumanians. But these conditions were unacceptable for us.
 Think of such a paradoxical situa- ton! Our armies occupied Rumania, Serbia and maintained invulnerably the Italian frontier; yet we were asked profit of our enemies, who, at that time, seemed indeed to be conquered. From the very first conversations Italy made known to Paris and Lon
 
 territories promised her and that nothing could modify her attitude. France and England remained faith ful to their ally, which was quite nat ural It was a question of loyalty. If they had done otherwise Italy would have detached herself from the a1- iance, an event which would have produced a very disagreeable effec, throughout the world for the Entente
 Austria Couldn't Make Peace.
 But at that moment we could not have consented to the dismemberment of Austria-Hungary. Our army and Our people, who considered themselves victorious since they occupied vast enemy territories, would have thought themselves betrayed by their Govern ment; revolution would have broken put, and the Emperor would have been Overthrown.
 ''The Austro-Hungarian Govern ment, therefore, could not separate its fortunes from those of Germany. It was not for love of the King of Prus- sia that we continued the war; but be- cause the treaty of London prevented us from laying down arms. If the Enter had been willing to content itself with changes in frontiers fr place of wanting to cut up our En- pire I would not have hesitated tc make peace, whether Germany liked 1t not. I would have said to Ger many: T am making peace,' and would have appealed to German pub lie opinion and to Europe, and Ger many herself would have been forced to accede,''