Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-05-20

N'NhHN Al lAhlbHts ubfN llbN hIlthl W
the colonials at all.
Since the difference here between
British war aims and the ideals OF
the president is one of cXpedienCy,
IL is probably that when the peace
conference meets the question viii
not be found so full OF difficulties as
il appears Tho British people are
proud TO think that they. like the
Americans, went to war for no ma
terial advantage. and most OF them
would be glad IL AT the end they could
point to their own empty hands. II
nevertheless the sentiments of Aus
tralia and South Africa must be CON
sidered, it may well he that arrange
Dments can be made by which Ger
many will not turn out a colonial
loser, and If this can be done most
Englishmen will be glad of 1t.
The French Are Bitter
French feeling is more bitter than
tl;lt of England, as English opinion
is more bitter than Americas mas
much as France has suffered more
than her allies The heart of France
Is set upon Alsace- Lorraine. and upon
compensation for the destruction
wrought in her own territories. More
than that do not think France would
ask from a liberated German people
If the plan for a plebiscitc in Alsace
and Lorraine, under neutral super
vision, could be carried out. it would
probably he found that a territorial
division of these long disputed prov
inces would be necessar have
not been in Paris recently and cannot
speak for prcscnt-day French opinion
on the subject. but my impression Is
that If the principle of nationality is
To be observed in the settlement, one
OF its greatest triumphs VIII be the
consent Of France to its application to
these Lands which the republic re-
CARDS with a mystical. wholly IRA
tonal devotion, as the symbol of so
many and such grieyOus sacrifices.
What viii America stand for at the
peace conference, and will President
Wilson attend in person? These
questions are debated here and
Americans answer inquiries on the
latter point by remarlIing that while
the whole tradition of the United
States opposes the absence of the
president from American soil, Presi-
don't Wilson has violated so many
traditions that he may well violate
this one.
Andrew Bonar Law, shortly after
Wilson set forth the ideas OF America
about peace In his address To the SEN
ate on January %, remarked from
the platform, What President VIII
son talks for, we are fighting for. ="
The sentiment called forth great ap-
proval. and was regarded as a distinct
hit against the then unpopular presi-
dent But an indication of tho
change in feeling since the Russian
revolution is that only decided tories
would not fail To admit that the state
ment was not entirely true when
Bonar Law made 1t, for England was
then fighting, unaVoidably, with the
Russian autOcracy. Today. IL is true
to say, Englishmen claim, that Eng
land and America and France and
Russia are talking and fighting for
the same things. The Russ an re-
volt was the publication by fire of
the allied cause and American entry
into the war as full-fledged ally is
regarded as the recognition of this
fact by great idealist. Some weeks
ago, Il British judge said to me,
Morality and law between nations
are now what President Wilson says
they are. no more ana no less" and
when | next saw him after the Rus
sian revolution and the presidents
war speech, he said with deep emo
tion. What was a war for the bal
ance Of power has been made n
crusade for humanity"
American Ideas.
r These somewhat general remarks
can be tested by a statement OF the
American peace as II is Interpreted
here. The United States is taken
entirely at its word as desiring no
material advantage or compensation.
American opinion. it Is said will in
sist first upon the abolition of the
principle of autocracy in Europe or
failing that aim will oppose the ad-
mission of any remaining autocratic
country into a league of peace. The
principle of nationality as understood
by America is believed to include
home rule within the British empire
for Ireland, complete independence
for Poland, Austrian and German as
well as Russian Poland and the
restoration Of relgium, Serbia and
Rumania, with full compensation to
Belgium If not to Serbia. II is also
recognized that something may have
to be said about the status Of Persia.
and that the rights of the Armenians
and Syrians must be protected by re-
moving these prosecuted peoples from
the rule OF Turkey. II is not thot that
the United States would object to an
Armenian state under the suZerainty
OF republican Russia, or to an autono-
nous Syria under the control of
France, France and Britain, or
France, Britain and Italy, as these
powers see fit to arrange the matter,
with due regard to the interests of
the population. An Arab state, en-
bracing Arabia proper and Mesopo-
tamla. on the lines of General
Maude's proclamation to the Arabs
from Bagdad, would necessarily he
under british protection but the
miserable state OF the people and the