Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-07-05
No Chip on His Shoulder.

But it would be surprising to folks
here if Mr.. Wilson came back with
chip on his shoulder and figuratively ac-
coutered in war paint. That's exactly
what they thought in England and
France when he first set sail from
America. Mr.. Wilson and Prime Min
lister Lloyd George and Premier Clemen-
ceau had been looking at each other
through the stiff printed word and stiff
formalities of diplomatic notes and mes
sages. British and French newspapers
looked askance at the ideaSo Of an Ameri-
can President coming across the Atlantic
TO tell them how to run Europe
certain stand offishnesS and ado about
rank and position and prestige con-
Sumed the month of December. And
then they got together. They sat down
and argued with the American Presi-
dent and found that he was much more
conciliatory than they imagined, that
he diSavowed any intention of running
Europe. but made it plain that Americas
signature to the peace treaty was not
to be attached to series of imperial
istic settlements, mere Encouragement
of the map of Europe, but that if
the articles of the peace treaty they
must be of kind that would produce
healing peace and not international
friction in bloodsbhed. His fourteen
points were vague expressions OF pr1n-
ciple.
Those who like the treaty say the
fourteen points have been carried out
Those who dislike some of the settle
ments say the fourteen points were
wrecked on the rocks of political eX-
pediency in the hope of establishing
the league of nations, which was SO
close to the Presidents heart Mr..
Wilson himself calls the covenant and
the peace treaty a chart on which ma
lions may venture in Self-aSSurance
and security on the always uncertain
seas of economic, racial and political
rivalry.
Views on League and Treaty.
People who have come to Washing
ton in the last fortnight from the
Vicinity of the American mission in
Paris say the President did not get
the kind of treaty he wanted. but that
he got something better than he really
eXpected-he got the best he could
under the circumstances. He con-
ceded. yielded, demurred and deferred
on points that might break up the con-
ference. He placed his hope for cor
rection in the league of nations and
it's commissions and councils through
which the provisions of the peace
treaty are to be eXacted. To those
who find fault with the peace treaty
Mr.. Wilson offers the league of ma
tons covenant. backed by an awak-
ened sense of morality and conscience
among the nations of the world.
To those who do not like the league
of nations covenant. he offers the OPP
portunity for revision and correc-
ton in the charter of the league of
nations itself. To reconstruct the
worlds map in six months. to get
signatures of a score of nations to
Ion, anti hn IN he a
quickly in order to save Europe from
further chaos and disintegration is a
task of UNPARALLELED magnitude. Mr..
Wilson will surprise his friends here
if he insists that the work at Paris
is free from imperfections. That he
will defend the treaty and league in
vigorous terms and oppose amend
ments and reservations at this time
is fully expected. And that he will
read criticism from opposing senators
equally vigorous and uncompromis-
ing is also expected.
President Analyses Opposition.
But the President is a shrewd
enough hand in dealing with Con-
gress to know that part of the op-
position is political, part of it is
based on personal antipathy to him,
part of it on his own unfortunate
course of aloofnesS and SecluSiveneSS
and part of it on a well defined but
genuine dislike of European entangle- |
mentS and engagements and a desire :
to return to our ante-bellum policy !
or national isolation.
Mr. Wilson learned things about the |
European statesmen that he didn't /;
know before. He learned in the first !
few weeks of his European expert
ence. He learned that the statesmen
of Europe had exalted ideals. too. but !
that they doubted the efficacy of
those ideals in actual practice. He /.
an attitude of dignified hum /
bleness. He didn't stand on cere- |
mGny. He walked into the French i
foreign office and called on NJ. Pichon, |
the foreign minister. during the first |
week of his stay. Such things hadn't !
been done before. a fore ign secretary |
might call on a premier or president. |
but never would the latter go calling |
on officials of lower rank.
What Mr.. Wilson did in Paris he |
had been criticised for failing to do
neglected republican senators during
the war. but he rarely called INTO |
the members of the demo-
cratic party in Congress. He never
Consequently as he de-
parted for Europe he got the coolest
reception ever given him on the oc- /
casion of an address to Congress.
and invited republicans as
we'll as democrats on the Senate for
eign relations committee to the White
House for dinner. most of them went.
but some of them felt, and privately |
said. that the invitation was a trifle |
belated and might have gladdened the
heart much more in the
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