The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-06-21
u. s. AND EUROPE
TOTALLY At ODDS
OVER HUN PEACE
CONTINUED From First Page.)

'tContinued From First Page.)
sible IN the future. Europe-the allies
were equally resolved upon a peace
which should so far as 1t was humanity
possible repair their losses and heal
their gaping wounds. In America the
/ Idealistic experiment was possible, alike
In view Of our history and our con
temporary condition, for Europe 1t was
impossible, alike because of traditions
and immediate circumstances.
But given the essential facts, the d.
plomacy of the great powers, Britain,
France and Italy, dealt with the Ameri-
can proposal in totally different fash
British on their part, with supreme
good sense, elected not to oppose Mr..
Wilson, but to associate themselves
with a proposal recognized by most Of
Hem to be decidedly impractical, and
gain thereby the incalculable advan-
age Of new n closer friendship with
the United States. The French hon
bstly but moderately proclaimed their
!ack of faith in the Wilsonian doc
srine, while the Italians stood coolly
aside. insisting at all times Upon such
national benefits as they had material
claims upon.
The result was inevitable. In the
Sriefest time the British and American
representatives In Paris were working
IN closest harmony. Cecil, SHUTS and
half a~dozen other British and Colonial
representatives were framing the COW
enant Of the league Of nations, while
between the French and American rep
fesentatives there was in existence and
between the Italian Inc American rep
eesentatives there was growing up an
estrangement which shortly endangered
che peace OF the world.
Denies Deception.
Now in all this situation, which re-
suited In the greatest diplomatic
very hard to separate accident from
aesign. I do not believe 1t is true, as
IS frequently urged, that the British
undertook to deceive or manipulate the
president and the American representa-
lives. They did not believe in the
league of nations more than the
- French, but they saw, what the French
allied to see, that friendly and sympa-
.hetic association with the president
promised to pave the way to something
eminently deslrable-namely, a perma-
cent Anglo-American alliance, in fact
If not on paper.
They saw with equal clarity two 9th
or things; they saw that there was
very real likelihood that championship
" the presidents ideas would remove
The possibility Of a clash over such
ssues as the freedom Of the seas and
he possession of the German colonies.
Henry ~ once said Of his change of re-
1gtoa that France was worth a mass
and British craftsmanship, with equal
Sfsion, recognized that American friend
ship, accepting the president as repre-
sentative Of America, was worth any
AMOUNT Of sympathy and aid to the
president in furthering a plan, which,
whether practical or not, was without
peril to British interests and had an
AnnAal IN CnrflfD claimants in the Rrit
tsh population.
The other thing the British saw with
the greatest clearness, was that the wal
had changed the position OF America
Britain, victorious though she was, had
been crippled financially and eco.
aomically; recovery. if certain would be
slow; America was a potential riva
certain to occupy something Of Brit
aims position in the world for some
lime to come, certain to be the strong
or single power on earth for many de.
sades; Therefore, to. quarrel witt
over the league of nations mere faulty
Sought New Basis.
At this point it is necessary to ado
one more thing. If British policy
clearly pointed in one direction, there
Is no less unmistakable evidence tina
the desire Of many Englishmen with,
out regard, to national questions wal
for a new basis of Anglo American re
lations. If there was calculation il
British policy, there was not less GER
tainly spontaneous and widespread
anxiety to establish newer and firmel
friendship between the two English
speaking peoples. In sum, / am anxious
J to make clear that the British states
men did not merely conspire to use MI
Wilson'S idealism; they and their fel
low countrymen came to arts or staye'
at home equally resolved to promot,