Evening star., 1924-01-20
SAYS WARS WILL RECUR
WITH SECRET DIPLOMACY
Senator Owen Declares Parliaments and
People Must Rule Foreign
Affairs.

many and Austria and with the CO.
lombian treaty. The tendency here is
constantly to get further and further
away from the closed door proceeding
in dealing with foreign relations.
Feasibility Demonstrated.
limitation of armaments was in IA
measure revelation to the world. 1t
was conducted openly: the world was
made familiar with all the discus
Sions and transactions of that con-
ference almost as soon as they oc-
CURED. The conference demonstrated
the fact that it was possible to ham
die International affairs practically in
the open. 1t was necessary. to be sure,
to hold committee meetings in eXecu-
tive session when the details OF pro-
posed treaties were being discussed
Senator Owen, in his address to the
Senate, pointed out that the interest
of the American people Is affected in
many ways by the conditions existing
in Europe. Until there is stability in
Europe, he said, it will not be possible
the quantity desired, nor will the
European nations be able to pay to
America the huge war debt. If Amer
lean ideals of international under
standing were adopted by the Euro
pcan nations they would be able to
disarm to a very large extent, bal
ance their budgets, stabilize their cur
rency and bring about an era of pros
perity and peace. But Senator Owen
tanned as long as the old mechanism
of handling foreign relations, with a
few ambitious and dominant heads in
control, is continued
In his argument to show that it was
the system" which was responsible
for the world war, and that the other
diplomats of France, Russia, Great
Britain and other allied nations We're
to blame as well as the war lords
and diplomatists of Germany and
Austria and Turkey, Senator owen
laid before the Senate evidence to
prove that a secret treaty was made
between Russia and France as long
plated the conflict which broke over
Europe in 1914: that there were held
nine annual secret conferences be-
tween the general staffs of Russia
and France, contemplating this war;
that it was the Russian policy to
bring about a general war in order
to obtain for Russia the control of
the Dardanelles and special influence
in the Balkans.
He presented to the Senate also ex-
tracts from the "black book" the
white book" and books of every hue
issued by the various countries deal
ing with the responsibility for bring
ing about the world war, together
with copies of correspondence and
secret treaties which have been un-
earthed since the Russian. German
and Austrian imperial governments
were overthrown, data which have
been brought to light for the first
time.
Real Cause Of Conflict
He finds that the actual guilt for the
war is attached to the system of hav-
ing a few men handle the foreign re-
lations of their countries-their
views and actions concealed from the
peoples of their countries, and 1t is
this that must be combated. Pre-
vious to the war, he points out, Rus
sia, France, Great Britain and Ger
many were conspicuously seeking to
expand their control over the sur
face of the earth. Great Britain,
through it's foreign office and mill
tary, had extended its power until it
controlled 440,0OO,O0O people; Russia
occupied one-sixth of the earth's sur
face and governed 150,000,00O people
France, with it's colonies, governed
about 90,o00.000 people, and Germany
had control over vast provinces in
Africa and the far east. 1t was the
aim of the men in control of the for
eign offices constantly to extend these
dominions, and such aims inevitably
led to war.