Evening star., 1919-02-23
Prestige of the President in Europe
Now at Low Ebb, SinOndS Asserts

! interest to go to the ravaged areas;
because in all this course he was
supported by the British in Paris,
there developed not only coidness
toward the President in France, but
clear division in the peace con-
ference itself.
Stirred Idealism of Europe.
have said in my first dispatch
to America that President Wilson's
coming had great and abiding value.
in that it stirred idealism all over
Europe, and, in addition, particular
" in the case of England, was 4
positive and perhaps permanent con-
|. tribution TO Anglo-American friend
ship.
This. l think, remains true, but IL
remains true with many moditica-
tioDs and qualifications since the
time when / wrote ii. Since then
We have framed the league OF ma
tions, which may or may not make
future war impossible and repe-
tition of the suffering of the last
four and half years out of the ques-
ton But, while we have been franz
ing that league of nations. Germany
has risen from defeat defiant ana
determined, and. as i preliminary 10
the discussion of that league OIL ma
tions, we allied powers of the ives.
have abdicated in Russia, leaving 1t
for the future to decide whether the
former RomanoT state shall here
after be bolshevik OF boche. At the
same time failure to take dehhite
action has fatally handicapped Poland
which must, after all. be one OF the
corner stones of new Europe. ana
permitted it, already assaileo oy DOL
sheviks, Ukrainians and Germans, 10
become involved in tragic dispute
with the Czechosiovaks. Poland mas
been neglected, and the task OF the
creation of d. Polish state whose
value to future peace is SO great
has been made difficult in the eA-
trene, We have sent food to Ger
many, fearful of German boisheViks'
hut we have permitted starvation III
Bohen,ia and anarchy in Poland
Big Problems Still Waiting.
All the many problems that CONFRONT
the peace conference on the maAeriai
and political sides remain to be met
The frontiers of Poland are not even
professionally defined. Poland and Bo-
hernia are at odds in Silesia. Rumania
and Serbia in Banat. the old question
between the southern Siavs and the
italians is en,bittered as delay fol-
lows delay. Syria has been perml1sed
10 become real wedge between bril-
ish and French opinion.
The German has followed the course
Of the Paris conference and changed
his tone from whine to threat
in less than three months, after Hin
denburg had recommended an uncon-
ditional surrender as the sole avenue
of escape from supreme disaster.
I. win be unfair and unjust to hold
President. Wilson exclusively or main
ly responsible for what has happen
ed. He could, had he chosen, have
brought the world to impose just
but Ievehng peace upon Germany: he
could n6O AC StaoSSii, ii<S = "a NSHNA -
provisional accommodations in case
Of the gravest Of the difficulties be-
fore the conference. In whatever di-
rection he chose to lead the British
were committed to follow. and had
he elected to lead in the direction of
terminating the -ar with Germany on
basis of reparation, restitution and
a guarantee against future dangers,
the French would have followed him
as they never had followed any man
in their history.
But he decided to stake all upon
the league of nations. and he created
the league of nations, and it may be
that this concentration viii prove in
the end of great and lasting benefit to
mankind.
Mr.. Wilson's Purpose Unknown.
On the other hand. ii is essential TO
face the thing as il is in Paris. Mr.
Wilson is, we understand, coming
hack in three weeks with what pur-
nose no man knows. He can no
longer at once exercise the same in