The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-01-27
WILSON DIPLOMACY

Since the arrival Of President Wilson and the peace dele
gates in Paris a great deal has been written about the veil of
secrecy which hides the activities and the aims Of the American
representatives.
With the customary enterprise of American newspaper men,
the press representatives from this country have attempted from
every angle to get a line on the official program. We have no
doubt that the representatives Of other countries are quite as
anxiotS as the press representatives to know what cards the
president holds. The information would solve the problem OF
the best cards for them to lead with.
Some o. the newspapers Of this country have manifested a
petulant spirit over the inability to learn what the cut-and-dred
program Of the president is and how he expects to go about hay
ing it adopted.
minating, even if 1t would serve no valuable purpose here. 1t
Is regrettablc that the freest publicity cannot be given to the
plans of all nations. But it would be obvious folly for the presi
dent to relate fully al d frankly and in great detail what he pur-
poses to do while the representatives Of other nations are adopt
Ing a sphynxlke attitude, with their cards ceverly concealed.
No especial franknes is required in admitting that the proc
cs is un-American. 1t is not the custom employed in the
transaction of the publics business in the United States. 1t
would be a crude diplomacy indeed for the president to intro
duce the American method Of "pitless publicity" in all of his
transactions and be rewarded for this trouble by coming face to
face with old world diplomacy, with its shrewdness and secre-
tiveness,
president to announce how much he would like to have the
conference observe the American system and how much he de-
plloress and deprecatses the %Furopeap. The thing for the people
new and strange situation. He cannot make it conform to his
ideas. and while he may not approve OMIT, he is obliged to OBJ
serve the European conventionalties.
The president is dealing primarily with an European stu.
alton, in which the Europeans are largely in the majority, and
representing claims that take priority over all others,
Since the beginning OF the war he has had Col. House gath
ering data to be used at this very convention. All the facts are
available to him. He knows what he wants and he knows what
the people of this country most desire and what they are entitled
to have.
He knows of the German depreciation and destruction and
the wantun waste his army left in It's path, lie knows what
Germany should be required to do and what the allied countries
are entitled to have done for them. lie knows what the United
States is entitled to claim and the consideration the smallest ma.
tons are entitled to receive.
1t is not likely that the president will have his way with
the conference. The Judgment will be the composite opinion of
the nations represented, 1t would be worse than folly for the
president to attempt to satisfy the curiosity and silence the crit
les of this country at the expense of his influence with the con
ference.
His mission is to serve humanity, and his achievement will
live in history long after his loudest critic is si'enced