Evening journal., 1919-08-25
Looking Backward
lFrnm iho - York SIM

his covenant absolutely without foun-
dalton in truth. He had no authority
thus TO speak for America in regard TO
the League. lie had no mandate to
demand a League or TO bargain for H.
lie had no Instructions from his Gov
ernment or his people TO tie up the
United States in his personally con
ceived scheme Of world control. So far
from there being any instructions to
that effect, the Republic had voted by
overwhelming majoritles less than
three months before this speech I'm the
Conference and on his own direct and
unqualified application and appeal 10
his fellow countrymen 10 grant him
this power-yoted with unmistakable
emphasis TO withhold such instruc-
tions, TO refuse 10 him such mandate
and TO leave him unclothed with such
representative authority as he declared
TO Europe was his by Americas SOW
ereign will
Not one European in a hundred
! thousand, we say knew then that this
was the case. Some OF the cannior
statesmen of the associated Powers
/ knew II and used the Presidents OBJ
! session and pretensiOns TO the national
| advantage of their respective Govern
ments I'm the matching Of minds for
| trade and barter which then Immediate
! ly began. Since that time a perception
/ OF the nOn-ethcal characterize put the
matter in the most respectful way pos
! slble-of President Wilson's original
| pretence TO Europe that he was the au-
thorlzed spokesman Of America in the
matter of Ne League, that he had
definite instructions from his people,
that he dare not return TO his own
country with the mandate unfulnlled,
has become quite general on the other
side Of the Atlantic. We have seen by
numerous manifestations how general
also is the indifference over there to the
whole scheme, i'm which his individual
notions were tolerated merely because
il was believed. on the strength OF his
own repeated declarations, that he
spoke with authority and in the name
OF the American people.
This IS looking backward. Now turn
TO the situation today existing here in
the United States. Having induced the
European Governments 10 accept his
covenant on the ground that America
passionately demanded it. the same
President Wilson. now facing The other
way, Is planning in .NUgusN an appeal
TO his fellow countrymen for that very
mandate and those very instructions
which he misleadingly presented to Eu-
rope in January last as the reasons for
his presence in Paris. He or his sup
pOrters are denouncing the Senators as
obslructionists and delayers Of peace
for taking half the time 10 consider the
lasting effect on Americas future OF
1.-THE project thus by him promoted. lie
is imploring the American people 10
swallow his League with all It implies
/ and without the change OF a sentence
a word, a syllable or a punctuation
mark on the plea that Europe passion
aiely demands It, that the heart OF the
world will be broken if it fails through
the Senaie's action that il will be de-
serting out allies and staining the ma
tional honor TO amend the covenant in
any particular or TO make reservations
concerning It.
In the language OF Shakespeare anc
the late Senator Chandler Of New
Hampshire. Can such things be anC
overcome us like a summers cloud
without our special wonder?