Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1918-12-06
REPORT EUROPE IS
JEALOUS OF AMERICA
SITUATION ON PEACE TERMS
SUCH AS TO DEMAND WILL
SONS PRESENCE.


shaping the conditions uEon which
world peace are to be made, it is fur
nished by the circumstantial reports
of returned American journalists re-
garding what they have observed in
England, France and Italy in the way
Of strong undercurrent of jealousy
of America and opposition to a peace
that will prevent future wars.
For the sake of securing n peace
of the old unjust and unstable char
acter certain influential politicians in
the countries named-their number
is greater in England than anywhere
else--are doing their utmost to be-
little the part played by America in
the war and to discredit the leader
ship of Wilson. 1t is possible and
probable that his presence at the
preliminary conference will give the
world the kind of peace it vents. His
absence would threaten to open the
door to peace of quite another kind.
All these matters are now being
brought to light as the veil of Sc
crecy is lifted and the newspapers are
beginning to tell what they know
about political conditions in the En-
tente nations.
While the war was on the censors
carefully prevented any word about
jealousy of America and the desire of
certain political elements to repeat
the plumbers of the congress of Vien-
ma from reaching the public any
where.
1t is impossible to escape the con-
clvsion that Mr.. Wilson will have
need during the next six weeks for
all the firmness. tact and clearness
of vision he can command II he is to
secure the kind of peace for which
America freely offered her sons and
her vast material resources of all
kinds.
There are lingo imperialist parties
in England, France and Italy. and
they want peace of the old bargain
ing sort, with each nation grabbing
what it can for itself, leaving the
devil to take the hindmost. They in
clude in their membership infiuen-
tial men, some connected with the
governments of those countries. and
some at present without official con-
nectiOns.
Now that the facts are coming out.
IL is easy to recall numerous cable
dispatches Of the last month or two
and see between their lines sugges-
tons of dissenting views and antago-
nistic policies.
The American government un-
doubleday has been kept fully advised
through its diplomatic and military
representatives.
President Wilson's address in New
York on September %, In which he
called on allied statesmen to say
wherein they differed from this coun-
try as to the peace proposals con-
tanned in the several Wilson address
es, was a clear intimation, 1t is now
recognized, that the Entente govern
ments and people were not In abso-
lutte accord with America as to the
peace settlement.
II therefore becomes increasingly
apparent to many people that 1T Is
Wilson's duty to attend the preliml-
nary peace conference and do what
he can to secure the acceptance or
those Just principles upon which an
enduring peace must rest. III ne
should fail, the world will know that
America was not to blame. The sit
ustion is SO important that he would
be untrue to the professions ne mas
made II he did not desire by going
abroad to control 1t.
The British, French and Italian
governments on the surface are IN
favor of the kind of peace America
wants, but they are beset by many
difficulties. That fact should be
known in this country. Only harm
would follow it's suppression.
A part of the argument OF these
hostile factions is contained in the
assertion that America played put
small part in the war, and therefore
should not attempt to say what the
terms of peace should be. Something
of this kind of talk has even been
heard in this country. In q certain
sense, America did play small part
in the war. Her losses and sacrihces
were infinitely less than those or
either England or France. But In
another and highly important sense
she played a very large part. for she
saved the day for the allies, with the
aid of the British shipping. and gave
Marshal Foch the reserve power that
was necessary to the brilliant series
of drives which brought peace In a
hundred days after July Is.
There is no thought in the minds
of American officials that Wilson In
tends to try to dictate the peace
terms. He will present his plan. ex-
plain It in detail and try to secure
it's acceptance. But what he pro-
poses will be open to amendment OF
every description. Undoubtedly his
fourteen points will be fully elabo-
rated. It is on these Celebrations
that the discussions will come. The
strength of his position will lie in the
oroot 70 IT that he Is the spokesman