Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-06-25

plenipotentiary of France met with uni
versal approval. Before the end of the
congress had been reached, it was Talley-
rand who, by his cleverness and his state
craft, by his experience of international
problems, and by the power of his per-
sonality, despite the ughness of his appear
ance, had become the most commanding
figure at the conference. He succeeded in
dominating all the monarchs, great mill
tary leaders, and statesmen present, inclu-
ding Gar Alexander |, and the Austrian
Chancellor, Prince Metternich, to such
an extent that the helpless, discredited
condition of France was forgotten. He
secured for her the same degree of con-
sideration and respect that she would have
had as one of the victorious Great Powers.
1t was France-defeated broken France
indeed, that may be said to have car
ried off the principal laurels at the Con-
gress of Vienna, thanks to Talleyrand.
If refer to this case, it is for the pur-
pose of demonstrating the vital impor-
lance of this country being represented
at the forthcoming Congress of Peace by
a statesman of national and above all in
ternational renown, who will be able to
secure for America the same consideration
that Talleyrand was able to obtain for
France at Vienna in 1915. True, the
United States will not appear there as a
defeated power; but there is, for other
reasons, almost as much opposition to her
taking part as there was against the
participation of France in the Congress
of Vienna a hundred years ago. More
over, it is we'll known that the United
States has neither the war-ships nor the
army to give the proper weight and force
to its views. The Powers of the Entente,
with their millions of veteran soldiers,
seasoned to the top notch by two years of
the most arduous campaigning, magnif-
Gently equipped, and possessed of Him
liable stores of arms and ammunition,
will be able to speak in a far weghtier
fashion at the Congress than the United
States. o.
The Man Who Should Represent Us
EVERYTHING, therefore, will depend
upon the selection of the chief repre-
sentative of this country at the forth
coming Congress of Peace; and if, as is
hoped by all those who know the perls as
well as the opportunities of diplomacy,
Elihu Root is chosen for the mission,
there is no reason why he should not Sc
cure for his native land as great triumph
as France, in the face of far heavier ham
dicap, was able to win at Vienna: why,
indeed, Elihu Root should not play the
same role at the next international con-
ference that Talleyrand played hundred
years ago in the Austrian capital
1t will be seen from the above that |
have assumed that ultimate victory will
rest with the Powers of the Entente. But
how is it possible to arrive at any other
conclusion, when one reflects on the over
whelming odds by which Germany and
her allies are confronted? They represent
total population of l40O0O,OOO, with
an effective military man power of
l5,OO0,0O0; whereas their foes can show
an effective military man power of con-
siderably more than 300OO,OOO.
write, Of course, not as a partizan, but
as diplomat in touch with those sources
of information that are often undefinable,
but none the less trustworthy. Germany
will lose the war. The end may come
uuickly-more quickly than now aDpears