Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-23
|OWEN PUTS BLAME
FOR WAR ON PARIS
intrigue With Russia Charged
by ex-senator in Public
Statement.

French leaders and Russian 1mpe-
rialists intrigued to bring on the
World War, former Senator ROBERT
J.. Owen of Oklahoma charged in a
statement yesterday.
Mr., Owen now is president of the
National Popular Government League
and a critic of the Government Tor
eign policies. His Washington birth
day statement was directed against
propaganda for cancellation OF the
French debt, which, he says. would
offer encouragement to the same type
of French militarism he holds par
TALLY responsible for the great war.
His contention is based on examina-
ton of secret Russian archives which
recently became available. These con-
tain about $500 Russian dispatches,
it is stated. Mr.. Owen said
Allegations About War.
s"rhe foundation of the war was the
secret treaty entered into in 1892 be-
tween the minister of foreign affairs
of Russia and the President OF the
French Republic, and the loan to
Russia as a result of this treaty or
81, 000, 900 900, raised by selling Rus
sian bonds to the French people. A
portion of the proceeds of this sale
press in order that the value of the
investment in Russian securities might
be commended. The French leaders
required, however, the bulk of the
money to be employed in building up
a great Russian army and in prepar-
ing for the war with Germany con-
templated by this treaty.
when Raymond Poincare became
President of France he Immediately
and repeatedly assured the Russian
statesmen that they could rely with
confidence upon the diplomatic sup
port of Russian policy in the Balkans
and of French support in case of a
general war flowing therefrom. The
week before Russian mobilization Poin-
care and Viviani were in st. Peters
burg with renewed assurances that
France was ready and would support
Russia in making war on Germany.
lit must not be forgotten that the
wives of Grand Duke Nicholas and
Grand Duke Peter completely disclosed
the secret preparations and policy of
Russia In their conversations with
Paleologue, the French Ambassador,
at the banquet given Poincare at st.
Petersburg, in which they quoted their
father, the King of Montenegro. as
having wired them that the European
war would begin before the end of
July. These thoughtless ladies felt
quite safe in talking to the Ambassa-
dor and telling him nothing would be
left OF Germany and Austria.
Sees Germans Acquitted.
"Paleologue, in his memoirs. with
singular unintelligence, discloses this
discriminating evidence in ella borate de-
tail and with apparent delight, not re
alizing that it goes to acquit the Ger
man leaders and to convict the Rus
sian and French leaders of melting
the war.
ION July "a, 1914, Poincare and
Viviani We're on their way to Paris
from st. Petersburg. They reached
Paris on July 20 and on the night of
the following day the famous dispatch,
No. PIG, from Isvolski, Russian Am
bassador at Paris, to Sazanoff, Rus
sian premier, declared that the French
government was firmly decided upon
war and expressed the hope that
Russian efforts would be directed
against Germany and that Austria
should. be treated as q negligible
quantity.
Critical as was the situation, Poin-
care could have prevented war, but
he would not abandon his doctrine of
''revanche," of revenge, which he had
preached with cold patience through
the years and which finally. under
his leadership, bore such terrible fruit
Among very distinguished French
scholars who have pointed out the
responsibility of French and Russian
leadership for the World War will be
found such men as Victor Marguerite
who is a scholar Of great distinction
and a historical author. He is re-
sponsible for obtaining the first 102
signatures of distinguished French
scholars, generals, authors, men and
women of letters to make an appeal
to the conscience of France demand
ing modification of article 23l, and
also the abrogation of articles 227 to
230 of the Treaty of Versailles (the
sancttons), in which the German lead
ers We're charged with being exclu-
sively responsible for the World War"