Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-06-30
MEXICAN PAPER
TERMS WILSON
A FALLEN IDOL
Entire Period of Presidents
Presence in Europe, and Ac.
compIishments Since There,
SketChed in Article.
BY JAY JEROME WILLIAMS.

Universal Service Staff Correspondent.
Washington. June 29.-"The fallen
idol" is the subject of an editorial
in Excelsior, the leading indepen-
dent newspaper of Mexico City, on
President Wilson. Copies of the
paper were received here Saturday.
The entire period of the presi-
dents presence in Europe, coupled
with the promises he made before
he sailed for France, and the &C
complishments he can now point to,
are sketched in the article. 1t ac-
cuses him of bowling to the will of
England in the matter of freedom
of the seas.
"He went over to obtain freedom
of the seas" the text reads, yet be-
fore the austere gesture of England
his voice was stilled and. the ques-
ton was never even discussed"
Concerning the events, which the
editorial says illustrate the rise and
fall of the president, both in the
minds of Europeans and Americans,
it reads:
History presents few cases of
men rising to the height of popular
ity so rapidly and holding that pin
nacle of glory so briefly as Pres
ident Wilson.
Received With Hosannas.
"He reached the height at the
close of the European war, when on
arriving in Europe, he was received
with the hosannas of all the peoples
of the old world, who welcomed him
as an apostle of democracy sent by
the western world to raise the torch
of liberty over Europe.
"The allies saw in the figure of
the chief executive of the United
States a representative of a power
full country, peaceful by nature,
which, after provocation by Ger
many, awoke from its sleep and con-
tributed to the overthrow of the
German colossus, rescuing the allies
from what on many occasions
seemed to be almost certain defeat.
1T was thus that the personality
of Wilson acquired such extraordi-
nary relief and awakened such hope
among peoples tired by war and
looking for some panacea to prevent
a repetition of this catastrophe. And
so we had a picture of President
Wilson, converted into the idol of
the multitudes, the hope of op-
pressed peoples and the refuge of
the vanquished.
Hardly six months have passed
since Wilson first set foot on the
old world in the midst of clamorous
welcome, and now we see that i'm
popularity practically dissi-
pated.
Lacking the support of the
masses, execrated by the Italian peo-
pie, which believes itself the victim
Of the tenacity of the American ex-
ecutive; abandoned by the Social
lists who first had opened their arms
to him as new Messiah, we see him
combatted everywhere and nowhere
more bitterly than in his own coun-
try.
Succumbs to Statesmen.
"He has been unable to impose
his idealism and has succumbed to
the influence of the expert statesmen
and Lloyd George"
The editorial touches on the re-
cent debates in the United States
senate, and points out that the SEN
ate ran afoul his proclamation of
open diplomacy to such an extent
that it was compelled to force pub
LEGATION of the peace treaty, which
he refused to permit it to see.
There is good deal of politics
being played in the United States
senate, but the influence of the legis-
lative body has been detrimental to
the popularity of the president" says
the editorial.
"The president will not return as
a conqueror or as the apostle who
went to Europe. The senate has
doubtless heard the rumblings from
all over the world accusing him of
compromising with his European
colleagues.
THE fact of the matter is the idol
of yesterday is returning to the
United States to the supreme test
of his prestige which has been so
seriously shaken all over Europe.