The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-02-22
WILSON LOSES
IN INFLUENCE
BY DEVOTION
TO ONE IDEA
Singleness Of Purpose ldenti-
fies Presidents Future
Greatness With Success of
League of Nations.
FRENCH DISAPPOINTED
BY FRANK n. SlMONDS.
Copyright, 1919, by The Mcclure News
paper Syndicate)

paper Syndicate)
PARIS, Feb. 17.-With the depar-
ture of President Wilson on February
13, one phase of the Peace Conference
is clearly determined. The publica-
tion of the constitution of the League
of Nations at the moment of the Presi-
dents departure was an obvious en-
deavor to make a report Of progress
SO far achieved, and 1t is fair to say
to the outside world that while COM
missions have been appointed, the
League of Nations covenant repre-
sents the actual achievement of two
months of the Paris conference.
We have now to examine the sue
cess or failure of Mr.. Wilson in the
two months of European negotiations
which followed his break with every
precedent and every tradition Of Amer
ican history in coming to Europe.
How far has the President succeeded
and justified his journey? How far
has he failed? These are questions
that will be asked most insistently on
all sides.
Success Was Great.
At the outset 1t must be clear that
Mr.. Wilson's success was beyond the
expectations of most, but 1t is hardly
less true that his stay in Europe since
tho first two or three weeks has
proved an anti-climaX, and that he has
left the conference weaker In influ-
ence than at any moment since his
arrival
The reasons for this slow but sure
decline of the Presidents prestige, if
not power, are not far to seek. Mr..
Wilson came to France exhausted
with four and half years of her
struggle against Germany, hardly yet
able to believe herself victorious. and
bearing wounds still unhealed, still ca
pable Of becoming fatal.
Coming to France, Mr. Wilson was
welcomed as he was in England, as
he was In Italy, as a symbol, as an
assurance. .alikescf the reconstruction
. OF the world and or reorganization Of
internal affairs. which would make
new wars impossible; and he was
gladly hailed in France as the spokeS
man Of the ally which had come to the
battlefield at critical moment, with
decisive aid, to insure to France re-
payment for her loss and protection
as to the future.
French Suffer.
have tried very often in these dis
patches of mine to indicate how deep
ly into the French soul had sunk alike
the German menace of half century
and German barbarism of the last four
and q half years. No nation in the
world looks more eagerly to League
of Nations as promise of new
world than France, but no great ma
tion had suffered on its own soil a
millionth part as much as France, and
no nation was therefore necessarily
so completely committed to take ma
terial guarantees against the future.
guarantees which would prevent a
repetition of 1914, IL the League OF
Nations should become another scrap
of paper.
Mr.. Wilson's failure In France, SO
far as 1t was failure, lay in his con-
centrating his attention and energy
upon the League of Nations to the ut.
ter exclusion Of. that other equally
great problem before the French, the
problem of security against the fu
ture.
To a nation whose factories had
been systematically destroyed. whose
fields had been swept Of fruit trees
whose villages had been ruined, Mr.
Wilson spoke only of abstract princi
pies. He talked, or he seemed to talk
thus in the presence Of some of the
most solid and solemn facts in all hu
man history.
One Mistake.
A single incident determined largely
the current of French feeling. 1t was
the hope Of all France that Mr.. viii
son would go to the Northern prov
inces and see with his own eyes, moi
alone the destruction of battle, bu
the wanton and selfish devastation o.
the German soldiers whose single pur
pose it was to eliminate France ant
Belgium from the economic life Of the
world, and then to take the place
made vacant.
This Mr. Wilson never did. AS {
result Americans and particularly
American correspondents in Europe
reporting the Peace Conference, sim
ilarly failed to examine this phase o.
the French case.
Even more than this, II not in the
case of Mr.. Wilson, in the case o
some OF those closely asScated will
him in his mission, there developed
certain impatience and intolerance O
the French view. The French pas
sion for protection against another
coming of the Germans was eaSll!
translated into the renaissance O
French Chauvinism and French ma
terialism, while on the French side
there was silence, then suspicion, ant
at last profound disappointment. {
feeling that America had changed hel
position with respect to France.
This French feeling was intensified
by the fact that the British withou
reservation bent their efforts and theil
energies to the realization of thu
League of Nation. and supported Mr.
Wilson or seemed to support him il
fet least temporarily setting aside thos'
! vouestions which for France, ant
France alone we're questions OF lift
and death.
Into French feeling and into Frenci
life there crept very clear sense, no
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