New-York tribune., 1919-06-18
Senate's Fight
Against Wilson
Stirs England
British Alarmed at Prospect
of Continued Unstable
Conditions if Hostility
Delays Signing Treaty
By Arthur S. Draper
Ne.c York Tribuns

European Bureau
tCopyrisht. 1919. New York Tribune Incl
LONDON, June l7.--Washington d.
vides honors with Paris as the place
Of news interest for Britons these
days. Every scrap of news about the
Senate's attitude toward the peace
treaty and the league Of nations and
every reference to Ireland are read with
even greater interest than the reports
from Paris, where the fate of the
world is being decided
The British have passed through
several mental stages since the Senate
adopted the resolution Of sympathy
for Ireland At first there was a feel
ing of indifference and incredulity,
then came wave Of resentment ris-
ing almost to fury following publica-
tion of the report of the Irish-Ameri-
can delegation, and now the people are
amazed at what they believe the ignor-
ance of the leaders as a consequence
of the continuation of their policy.
Called downright Falsehood"
"The Daily Telegraph" temperate in
all comments, voices the sentiment of
the middle class Of England and de-
scribes the Irish report thus:
ut is a mass of malevolent misrep-
resentation and downright falsehood
to which we cannot remember any
parallel"
"The Spectator" says:
1T would be tragic fiasco if Brit
ain were caught up in an American
party machine, and yet it is only too
easy to understand how there is risk
of such a thing happening on our
part"
"Tne Saturday Review" says:
"Our politicians and our press prate
loudly about the everlasting irrepar-
able friendship between the United
States and Britain. Yet how easily
might serious quarrel arise over the
subject of Ireland! The fact that the
profession of sympathy with the Sim
Feincrs is purely political increases
the danger, for we know what poll
ticiars will say and do to win an cleo
tion.'
Thesc are the comments Of temper
ate publications. There are others
which describe the American action as
"impudent and insulting," adding a
lot of other adjectives.
"Ths Daily Express" says:
"The action of the Foreign Rela-
tions Committee threatens the league
with disaster, and in destroying the
league it menaces also the entire peace
fabric"
President Wilson Blamed
The paper blames President Wilson
for the present situation, but adds:
"The worst of it is that the whole Of
Europe may have to suffer for the
vanity of one man."
The Tribune's suggestion of the pos
sibility of admitting Germany into the
league finds support in Lord Robert
Cecil, whose Albert Hall speech marked
the opening of campaign to popular
ize the league in England. 1t was a
sober, earnest, critical audience which
heard one of the chief builders of the
league, Of which "The Times" says:
"The greatness Of that work stands un-
deniable."
Whatever their political faith, how
ever. and however skeptical and an
tagonistic they may be toward the
ideal of the league of nations, the
British regard with alarm the prospect
Of the continuation of unstable con-
ditions, and though some would like
to divorce the league from the treaty,
they prefer union to the alternative
of further political confusion. The
Knox resolution served to frighten
many into supporting the league.