Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-11-29

unnoticed.
Disillusionment Comes
went to Paris to the Peace Con
terence as newspaper correspondent
BY this much my experience differed
from the average. Ny disillusionment
was direct and speedy. Yours cam,
through reading the news dispatches
more slowly. Very soon old diplomacy
was noticed. A subtle something per.
vaded the atmosphere, which showed thai
the. breath of the golden age hat
withered nothing. and every American
observer was conscious that somethins
held the Europeans together-their
common experiences, their common be
llefs, their secret treaties, their diff
ferent point of view. A Frenchman
once explained 1t to me by saying, "We
are a very old people and experience
has made us skeptical. You are a very
young people and full of confidence and
optimism OF youth. 1t is hard for us
to understand each other" And the
French had taken trouble to re enforce
their skepticism with very thorough
and never failing understanding with
the English.
The first sharply disillusioning thing
at Paris was NJ. Clemenceau's speech
at the end of December. Mr.. Wilson
was travelling in England, receiving
every indication that the people of the
whole country were with him. NJ.
Clemenceau evidently did not like the
development, knowing well how Lloyd
George veers and shifts In response to
public opinion. The belief at Paris is
that NJ. ClemeDceau had prepared him
self for Mr.. Wilson's coming to Paris
by reaching hard and fast understand
ing. with the English premier for mu
tual support of certain aims. NJ. Glenn
enceau spoke sharply in the midst of
Mr.. Wilson'S triumphal tour through
England, evidently to remind Lloyd
George that he was bound by certain
promises to himself. He said, with
characteristic frankness, that he did not
believe in a league of nations, but did
believe in the old fashioned balance of
power; that what he wanted was an al
lance of the victorious countries and
that this was what he would work for.
I remember the shock ] felt when |
read NJ. Clemenceau's speech. "What
blasphemy,' | thought, that this old
unrcgenerate, who has outlived his use
fulncss and who does not realize the new
age even now when it is already here.
should utter such outworn doctrine. "
And then with American confidence,
added "What folly !" 1t was, how
ever the first little jar my faith got in
Europe. The wicked still hourishcd,
and had not been cut down. not ever in
their old age.
British Journalists View
The day before I had been i'll Man
chester where met that wonderful old
man, Mr.. Scott, the editor of the Man
chester Guardian. He is friend of
Lloyd George, but not an indiscrimin
ting one. The British premier s rcputa-
tion was somewhat diSquieting so |
asked Mr.. Scott about the British dele
alton to the Peace Conference, where it
stood upon The league of nations.
Lloyd George is for the league with
out doubt he said. "You can count
upon him. But remember, he never
thinks an idea out or understands its
logical implications and he is perfectly
capable of doing things utterly incon-
Sistent with his general conviction. On
the other hand, Lloyd Robert Cecil, like
all the Cecils, is religious man, and
the league is almost religion with
him. With Mr.. Balfour, too, it is prac
tically the same thing An extremely
accurate analysis of the delegation.
1t was cleverly chosen delegation.
Lord Robert Cecil, the idealist, made
Mr.. Wilson perfectly at home with
it. Mr.. Balfour, too, in a less de
gree. Lord Robert was one of the
remarkable men of the conference. He
was, you might say, the point of con
tact with America. When any Britisher
talked to the American press il was
usually Lord Robert. He could talk
Nf hn loo pf nuiinna hpp rt ilU
than Wilson himself Moreover, he was
You felt here was one man
you could rely upon, one in whom was
no guile. You sensed, as Mr.. Scott
said, his religion, his tremendous sin
rerity. I should say he was the most
honest man in Paris.
And an American economic adviser
told me, Furthermore, that upon the
business side of the peace he was the
ablest of the British. A remarkable
man. A subtly wise choice. He made
every American feel that after all Bri
tain was true cousin of ours, had our
ideals, that she did not belong in the
European mess 1t was highly impor
tant that Americans at Paris should
be made to feel this. think Lord
Robert was chosen for Mr.. Wilson s
especial benefit. They had the SAME
ideals, spoke the same language. Prob
ably Mr.. Bonar Law filled similar role
with respect to the trench And Mr..
Lloyd George was the connecting link of
the British delegation. He could face one
way on the general proposition and the
other on the details. as Mr.. Scott had
said. He could stand for the league
and the secret treaties.
Mr.. Wilson wanted the league. Lloyd
u.;fb him fhof
Clemenceau wanted the alliance of the
victors, especially of France, England
and the United States. Lloyd George
was with him on that; and in the
end, after he aided Mr.. Wilson obtain
bis league, he threw his strength wholly
and openly to France, precipitating the
calling of the George Washington to
Brest, took part in blocking the Mon
roe Doctrine amendment to the league
until France received what NJ. Clemen
,eau wanted-the alliance. France was
necessary to England. The United
States was necessary to England. Eng
land had men in her delegation aimed
lt each country. In the end her rather
two faced diplomacy succeeded. The
President was forced into an alliance,
speech Of September 81, 1918, "the
United States will enter into no spe-
cial arrangements or understandings
with particular nations" This French
alliance and the diplomacy by which
It was reached was one of the deep
1isillusionments of the conference.
Three Men Around a Table
An earlier disillusionment was the
Peace Conference itself 1t was most
If the time the meeting of three men
around a table. Soon the idea dawned
Ipon me that l was virtually then see
ng the league itself, that that was what
he league itself would be in actual