The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-01-29


A ~ Of many, but none the
less a real crisis. This
~ is not the result Of the
u1 development OF irrecon-
cilable views or any
open or secret disagreement. There
has been none and in my Judgment
there will be none. Nothing ~ more
likely viewed from present conditions
than that from start to finish the
conquerors Of Germany Will continue
to act in cooperation and with un.
broken harmony. Inevitable disagree
ments will not become national or
or personal.
II is possible to- dismiss in advance
rumors and reports Of alterations. OF
ultimatums and all similar circum-
stances. Britain, France and the Unit
ed States, the three great powers. can
not be separated by any question
which may arise.
BY contrast the crisis which ap-
proaches grows out OF good rather
than Ill feeling. In France. Italy and
England the coming OF President viii
son was hailed by the mass OF the
people. by the little people as con-
,trasted with the politically or socially
great, as the promise of new era.
Mr.. Wilson was welcomed in no small
sense as a savior of society. as the
guarantor Of a newsworld. There was
at most a difference only in degree in
Rome, London and Paris.
Given Unique Position.
The consequence was to give Mr..
Wilson . position almost unique in
history. He had and think he retains
the power welded BY Bismarck, at the
conference Of Berlin although It
no single man ct the congress OF vien.
ond "a measure II remains the ex-
S0B0CG Yhde NJ. Wilson Is % bring
durable peace to the world. He has
become . ngure quite unlike that OF
Lloyd Gorge. Clemenceau, Orlando,
who. after all are mortals known as
such to millions. but Mr.. Wilson Is a
symbol rather than a man.
In this situation the temptations are
manifest and tremendous, yet / think
1t would be the general consensus of
opinion that the president has acted
with admirable self restraint. The
first awkward moment when It re-
manned to be disclosed whether he
came as Caesar or as a Conferee went
of satisfactorily. Millions Of people
welcomed him with an enthusiasm
which gave him obvious power but he
made no effort 40 use that power un-
fairly, unreasonably or so far, at ALL
Gives Position Secret.
Thus in a sense after the first period
OF action the president disappeared
from the public which had welcomed
him. He was lost to view and-this
Is the point-thereafter nothing has
happened Of all things which were
most expected and are most desired.
What the president thought, what
he seeks. what his views are on the
main questions remains unknown not
save by few but unknown to any
single individual in France. On some
but by no means all important qucs-
tons his views are suspected and that
Is all.
Now l do not think anyone can ex.
aggerate the longing of the people of
the nations who have fought this war
for peace for return to the old COM
forts and conveniences OF life for an
end, not merely to the horrors of fight
ing but to the only less real horrors
OF existing twilight zone between war
and peace.
In France. In Britain, in italy, there
are discomforts, hardships; there is a
measure OF suffering and millions of
men still under arms desire 10 go
home while in Eastern Europe famine
exists and increases day by day.
The conditions OF ordinary life pass
description even In Western Europe
One pays enormously for little, not
merely the foreigner, but also the ma.
tive, food Is dear, scarce, unsatisfac-
tory, railway transportation is ha,-
hazard. Mails are infrequent. In sum
order and organization have as a con-
sequence OF the war gone out OF life
The grimmest and most intimate Der.
sonal problems press upon all people
and as the pressure grows their inter
est even In a thing as important as
the peace conference diminishes,
Decision is Wanted.
The reaction from these conditions
Is the ever growing demand that there
shell be decision not debate in the
peace conference. The world is begin.
ming TO demand some peace, any peace
rather than perpetuation of the pres
ent condition and in this situation the
President whose word would be of
compelling force says nothing, has
said nothing. If he has plan as it is
necessary to believe even in the mat
ter OF the League of Nations the plan
remains unknown.
! do not desire at this time to seem
to criticise. l have been convinced
and remain convinced that the coming
OF the President to Europe was in it.
Aelf and bv itself a proot cant r;h,t,<,,
- the solution of the most difficult
problem. that of making at least a
tolerable peace. We shall have, l am
sure q better peace because Woodrow
Wilson came to Europe than we
Continued on Page Three)