The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-17
WORLD DEBATE MAY
ADD LEAGUE PERILS


turning to the United states lt can Ue
said that the events leading to its COM
pletion and presentation are the results
Of q complete change in the Presidents
Intentions after his arrival in France.
He believed then that the most i'm
portant questions affecting peace could
be settled in a short time, so that he
could return to the United States long
before the middle of February, per-
,haps coming back to Paris to sign
the formal treaty. Soon after his ar
rival. however. he found that the COM
plexity of conflicting claims and Of the
whole situation was SO great that this
was impossible.
The President soon was convinced
that to facilitate or even to make pos
sible a real settlement Of such ques-
tons as the future Of the German
colonies the constitution Of the League
Of Nations either must be adopted or at
least put into form that was nearly
permanent. In the early part OF his
visit he found much time that was be-
ing spent in discussing comparatively
trivial matters and attempting to ad-
Just the rival claims OF sometimes mar
rowminded and insistent claimants
which irritated and baffied him could
be avoided only by Fastening this
project to its conclusion.
RebuHed at the outset.
An indication Of the situation in
which the President found himself Is
the fact that OF the occasion of the
FIRST meeting OF the Ave great Powers
after the opening of the Peace Confer
ence Premier Lloyd George stated In
so many words that Great Britain
| would not approve or enter into any
League Of Nations that did not insure
the safety OF the British Empire by
recognizing its right to maintain a great
I naYy, while France deemed a strong
| army. as necessary to her safety as a
| powerful navy was to Britain. and II
| President Wilson's league forbade
France to keep a strong army she
would not enter the league at that
| time.
II IL doubtful IL President Wilson
: realized fully or understood how I'm
portant TO the European Powers wa.
| the question OF saftty As one French
man put II Three thousand miles OF
water make a great difference"
| Thereafter the "big FIVE" reverted con-
stantly to the league for many DAYS be.
! fore they adopted finally the method OF
! appointing on January % a special COM
| fnittee to deal with IL. On the next day
Premier Lloyd George smoke at length
on the league. especially in reference &c
! commercial treaties.
Question of the Colonies.
on January 20 the discussion centred
on the colonies which was settled pro
visopally by tho adoption OF the man
datory principle. In this discussion 4
was shown that the view OF Premiei
| British dom!nlons, notably Australia II,
favored the mandatory plan they de-
! randed annexation outright.
On January 80 the Belgian delegation
| presented Its views on the subject oil
the seized German colonies in Contra
Africa and again the big Ave" fount
! themselves facing an impasse. since 4
was agreed that the future of tn,
! African colonies. as much as those in IN,
! Pacific. depended upon the constitution
OF the League OF Nations, not ther
drafted.
Premier Lloyd George spoke at length
on January 81 upon his conception o
the League OF Nations. II was realized
at that time that action must be takeI
to remove that great stumbling blocl
from the path OF the conference and tn,
British Prime Minister espoused the idet
OF mandatories, which President Wilson
favored. Despite the fact that the tdeI
was abhorrent to several of the British
domlnions, notably TO Premier Hughei
lof Australia, there Is reason to believ,
that Premier Lloyd George became III
protaeonist, partly to take some OF tn,
weight from the shoulders OF Presiden
Wilson and thus prevent the Presiden
from seeming TO be trying TO force hi
ideas down the throats OF the othe
Powers. the very thing that some be
lleved he would do when ne came L
France.
After Premier Lloyd Georges speed
II was decided to refer the mandstor.
scheme TO the League OF Nations Com
mittee, which then had been constitute,
with President Wilson at its head, witt
instructions to work out the details
Thus more through his experience witt
the colonial Question than any other, al
though not through this alone, Presiden
Wilson became convinced that not unit
the League OF Nations was somethin
more than a vague plan could the bust
ness OF peace making really progress
In the meantime various other com
niittees have been appointed to handl
special matters and prepare them 10
submission. but not until the plans wer
4 approved, which will no, be until Presi
dent Wilson's return, will much inpor
tRnt business DO done according TO tn
expectation OF the American delegation.
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