The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-05-09
! MAKERS OF THE. PEACE
, TREATY

sslsrAN more carefully We read the pro-
. roeed peace terms handed TO Germany.
Sand. particularly. when we study the
" sssrerazsfioa and guarantee features Oh
3 THO treaty, the moro ne are led to sus-
Sss.--s.,A That Mr.. Woodrow Wilson, instead
.ioR parytns the leading part.in the prep
81 aratSrn Of the treaty. has been rather
s. effectively subordinated by-the agrees
SttfTe demands, or the superior diplomacy
S1f the Allies. Mr.. Wilson's IA points
81 Sat no very conspicuous figure IN the
Sl1aa.e treaty. We find in the first
s. clauses the covenant Of the League OF
Nations, which. however. has been neu-
g IS frah1ed 10 meet the demands Of public
s. s sentiment In the United States. and II
certainly is not the idealistic document
that Mr.. Wilson told the world would
Z bs adopted. In effect. it is practical
& combinatton to guarantee the terrltor'aa
z, ana industrial conditions that Will exist
s1shen the peace treaty is signed mod
IS arn .IIoly Alliance" so to speak. touch
led with the spirit OF the twentieth in
stead Of the eighteenth century.
80 Throughout the negotiations Mr.. VIII
son has appeared as the champion OF
certain misty ideas. and. encouraging
more or less, the thought that Germany
would not be severely punished for her
smtsdeeds, In fact. the word "indem-
rs nity" does not appear in the treaty. Fun
:ss;sishrnent. as such. is not directly spoken
;&:of. But this is a concession III mere
a5xords. In the harsh facts Of the treaty.
clothed in polite language. the Germans
s., ,:ffT rrszs the seyerest exactioas snd OBJ
8 MEations ever imposed upon beaten
people in modern times. a, half century
& hence German children. now unborn.
IS enid crushing toll and binding sweat.
Ivan have reason to curse the day when
S. she Hohenzollerns embarked on their
mad career Of world CONQUEST. The
kzszorid's bill Of damages against Ger
fsniany will not be paid by this genera
e zion. or even by the next. and 90 long as
Sssshe treaty has binding power German
military strength will be chained and
s German influence in the political world
sS.wsll be negligible quantity. In these
sseycre terms. terms. however. not too
aa,sss $es,cYeS 10 meet the occasion. are to be
q seen> the master hands OF Clemenceau
s., sa,,d Ferdinand Foch. and the statesman
ship of Lloyd George. rather than the
rs uncertain ldealism of Woodrow Wilson.
In the final disposition OF FiCrne we
see again another surrender OF MIR. Will
Z sons proposals. Within tie past month
~ fh:c world was treated 20 an attack upon
italian aspirations. couched III Mr.. Will
fs son,s choicest English. That attack was
KS met by Italys refusal further to par
So fr5rsat.s In the peace conference. Now
s. rtS5y comes back. with positive assur-
sssa nce that Fiume will become Italian.
S5s and remain italian. and the creation OF
s. new port for the Slavs. something
which they would nave peo' 0lo'S ~ Wv
for themselves under any conditions. is
s. All chat comes from Mr.. Wilson'S lmpo-
s Ute and entirely uncalled-for champion
] shsp OF 5ugo-slavc demands.
IA gsSsSTaere was. OF course. no good reason
s 10 srppose that the statesmen OF Eu-
~ rnpe ever intended to allow Mir. Wilson
$40 dictate peace conditions. particularly
aaFSto those territorial questions in
which they were most vitality concerned.
sSsFhey have accorded to the American
president a great deal of respect and
treat deal Of courtesy. bnt practically
the sole effect Of his visit TO Europe has
$sslb4sn a round Of personal entertainments
ssnnd, perhaps, an unnecessary delay in
sf he preparation Of the peace treaty. The
spirit Of the treaty is the spirit OF
i FRANCE to protect herself against fur
.her attack: the spirit Of Great Britain
y ycsorying forever to end German rivalry
& on on the high seas. and not the vnsariea
sszcf woodrow Wilson.