The Washington times., 1930-09-29

Il
to help win the war, and that almost be-
fore American blood was dry upon the bat
tlefields Of France, this practice of secret
diplomacy had been resumed to make fu-
ture wars certain, and Americas sacrifice
vain.
Some of these distinguished Frenchmen
were convinced Of the justice OF my state
ments; and the influence Of these gentle
men, combined with the effort and activity
Of our Paris office, secured for as copy
Of this treaty from responsible government
official.
The moment we secured the treaty, there
was an end of secret diplomacy, as far as
that document was concerned, for the Sc
cret treaty became public treaty as far
as worldwide publication could make it.
The treaty consequently was never con-
summateds
The French government officials were
very angry, and Mr.. Delaplanque and Mr.
De Noblet, through whom we received the
treaty, were arrested by the French govern
ment for conspiracy, and / was accused
of completely.
was not concerned about the charge Of
the French government had done what
believed was for the best interests of my
own country and my own people.
Moreover, did not think that had done
the French government any harm, but on
the contrary, had done it certain amount
of good in preventing its return, in this in
stance at least, to the evil practice of secret
diplomacy.
Now, fellow citizens, you may say to me:
You certainly committed no crime
nor misdemednor nor offense as far as
oar oaOn country 1OGS concerned, but did
yoM not commit an offense according to
the lG1Us of France?"
And say in reply:
81 aUiU Leave the decision Of that qnes-
ton in your hands, in VieaO of the follo1U-
ing facts":
Mr.. Delap1anque and Mr.. De Noblet,
from whom our office received the treaty,
were dragged before French court by the
French government and prosecuted; and
their own French court decided that they
had committed no crime, no misdemeanor,
no offense of any kind, and discharged
them as innocent, and dismissed the case.
1 Now, if the French gentlemen who gave
us the treaty committed no offense, how
could we Americans who received the
treaty have committed an offense?
And how could be accused Of completely
in an offense when the French courts de-
cided that no offense had been committed?
Yet, two years after the publication Of
the secret treaty, Mr.. Tardieu did accuse
me Of completely in nonexistent offense,
and did ask me to leave France, although
I had already been in France earlier this
same year for several weeks without moles-
tation of any kind.
One word more and will conclude.
Mr. De Noblet is the scion of a great
French family. His uncle was ambassador
to the Vatican, and he, himself is man
of influence and Importance.
As soon as the French courts discharged
him as innocent, and declared that no Of.
tense had been committed, he promptly sued
the French government for false arrest,
and refuses to compromise the case.
Perhaps, fellow citizens, some of you will
say to me:
"Why did not you sue the French
Government"
And say first, because I did not want
to magnify the incident, and, second, be-
cause 1 had the simplicity to believe,
fellow citizens that somewhere among our
paid servants at Washington there might
be found some public official with lnde-
pendence enough and backbone enough and
American spirit enough to defend the
rights of law-abiding American citizens
sojourning abroad, and to vindicate the
validity of an American passport, and to
maintain the liberty and dignity Of Amerl-
can citizenship. ...
I still think if Theodore Roosevelt had
been alive, or if Grover Cleveland had been
alive, you would have heard little Of w. R.
Hearst, to be sure, for he is Of no I'M
portance in this situation; but you would
have heard much about the value and
validity and inviolability of the American
passport, and of due and necessary respect
for the rights and liberties of the American
citizen.
Theodore Roosevelt and Grover Cleveland
are dead. But let us hope that American
spirit and American independence and
American loyalty to the rights and liberties
which we inherited from our fathers, and
desire to hand on to our sons, did not die