New-York tribune., 1919-02-06
Realistic News

Realistic News
There is ample need of realism from
Paris. Idealsm has been not only the
official American word by nine out of
ten American correspondents it has been
accepted as the only proper gospel for an
American writing about anything in the
shadow of an American President
abroad. Therefore it is pleasure to re-
cord the triumph Of realism in the CORE
spondence of Mr.. Simeon Strunsky in
1he Evening Post, one Of the shining ex-
ceptions. To all feverish interpreters
of history we commend his cool and re-
freshing words, written in London on
January q, but never truer than to-day:
Zone thing the observer on the edge Of
peace conference must not do, and that
IS to try to keep his finger on the pulse
of the moment. The results are apt to
be disconcerting. Here in London, for
example, the cardiac range has been all
the way from feeble on the day preceding
the arrival of the President to fine
normal during the first two days of his
sojourn, and to q decidedly feversh tone
following upon the Clemenceau and
Pichon declarations in the Chamber de-
bates. The day before yesterday there
was good cheer here in Liberal circles
over the unity of minds between Lloyd
George and Mr.. Wilson on the principle
of league of nations. To-day the down
hearted see once more struggle under
bot 1Tr A.
of militarstic reaction flushed and tr-
umphant. Under the circumstances, it is
best not to scan the daily fever chart too
closely and to keep an eye rather on the
general condition of the patient"
Of M. Clemenceaus terrible frankness
Mr. Strunsky has several pointed things
to say. The French Premier has been
much more outspo<en in the formulation
of his realistic outlook than our own rep
resentatives have been in the informa-
tion supplied to the public concerning
the progress Of the Wilson idea, he
notes This has surely been one of the
delightful humors of conference Of
peace to be openly arrived at-that it
was American idealsm, not French real
ism, that has maintained the most sccrc-
tive Of slences.
Mr.. Strunsky does not see in Clemen-
ceau either an advocate Of miitarism or
reaction or an enemy Of the league of
nations:
"If instead of weighing phrases we
weigh the permanent temper and condi-
tons which the nuctuating word reveals.
the Clemcnceau utteranccs do not Justify
belief In a sharp antagonism at the con-
ference between the old idea of balance
of power and the new idea of leagued
world. Clemenceau is not hostile to the
league, but after four and half years of
war horror he claims residence in Mis-
souri, My chief concern has been to re-
frain from giving room for too much
hope in order not to arouse the reaction
of too much disappointment To assume
that this means conflict with the Wilson
idea is to suppose that the President
would call for the immediate abandon
ment of all existing guarantees of ma
tional security the moment the birth no.
tice of the league of nations is pub
lished"
Mr.. Wilson is not combating this dc
sire of M Clemenceau to be assured of
the leagues success before other assur-
ances of Frances safety are abandoned,
Mr.. Strunsky asserts. To the contrary.
he IS equally anxious to keep a sword or
two pending the demonstrated offensive
and defensive value of ploughshares.
Mr. Strunsky says:
I'VE may speak of the latter as the
viewpoint of militarsm and reaction. but
1T will do no good to call names 1t is a
viewpoint for England, which, on the face
of the general election, has been indorsed
by the British people. 1t has been in
dorsed by to vote in the French
Chamber. To approach this solid fact in
state OF nervous evaporation is as idle
as to surrender to it. Evidently Mr. Wilson
has done neither. 4 am trying to CON
vince YOU the President told Clemen-
ccau; perhaps it is you who will con-
vince me- Actually it is not a prospect
of either side winning over the other to
absolute conviction, but of working out
an agreement. If Clemenceau consents
to loyal test of the league of nations
idea he can ask for guarantees while the
experiment is in progress"
We congratulate Mr.. Strunsky on his
ability to prove that it is possible to be
an American abroad during peace CON
ference and not become a sentimental
dreamer over things that are not and
never were so.
The earth would have to be expanded
considerably to give each nation at the