The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1919-09-04
What Mr.. Wilson Did.


American editor. His paper At EN-
! poria. Kan, is small in size ard cir
culation, but large n reputation. Mr.
White is writer of stories, novels
| romances, and interesting articles, OF
economies and politics. He is a think
er. student and philosopher. and III
has a clarity Of expression that pat
the run"h anG point in an article.
William Allan White was at Pari:
ct the reace conference. representa-:
some of the big American neWspa
pers. He saw as much of the inside
as was seen by any outsider, and he
had the gumption to get the drift or
things as they came floating out OF
the closed doors to the conference
room.
Writing in the Saturday Evening
Post, current issue. Mr.. White lifts
the veil of secrecy that covered NE
proceedings at the peace conference
and tells us something about what
Mr. Wilson had to contend with
what he did, and how he did it, and
summing it all up in one phrase, Mr.
White says, "He got seventy per cent
of what he went after"
Speaking of Mr.. Wilson's notion OF
things when he went to- the Paris con-
ference, Mr.. White gives us something
of an accurate explanation of what
was in the presidents mind, in the
following:
"For just here it is necessary to
define the American idea which Presi-
dent Wilson brought with him. For
after all our president is not import
ant as man but as representative
of an ideal in connection with the
story of the peace conference. AS a
man he was always remote, some
times vague and never very interest
ing in Paris. But the ideal he
brought. there was dynamic, and he
cherished it and impersonated it we'll.
1t was the ideal of faith: faith in
humanity, faith in the moral govern
ment of the universe, faith in the
power of the spiritual forces of life
to triumph over the material powers
Of life.
"And in presenting that idea to
Europe with it's age-long habit of
doubt, doubt grounded in cynicism, it
was as though grown men should
suddenly turn up in solemn conclave
telling fairey tales! Europe could
harly keep it's face straight. NJ. Glenn
enceau chortled in his glee. God,
said Clemenceau, gave us His ten
commandments and we broke them.
Wilson gave us his fourteen points
we shall .see.' And again My friend
President Wilson is man of noble
candeur, noble candeur meaning stu
pid simplicity"
Speaking then, of the allies at the
peace conference, Mr.. White states
their hopes and aspirations quite ac-
curately, we think, in the following:
"And here is what he faced: Four
other major powers instinctively ar
rayed against him, with only Great
Britain's statesmen-and not all of
Misunderstanding him. In addi-
tion to the four major powers he sat
with the little nations, who though
they believed in Wilson as Santa
Claus, were none the less dubious,
none the less hungry, always Europ-
cans. This must also not be forgotten
that the president was playing one
kind of a game, his allies another.
Occasionally these concrete things
overlapped. But they never differed
in kind. Europe sat at the table,
for boundaries, for economic advant-
ages, for military guarantees, for
balances of power. One must keep
that in mind. For the presidents
appeal did not reach the men who
sat with him in the conference. 1t
only reached public opinion, though
European governments are much
more flexible than ours, their public
opinion does not seem to be 50 pow
erful as ours; and the fine phrases OF
the peripatetic philosopher"
Then describing the final battle
and it's results, Mr.. White says:
'He fought on after the Chinese
surrender, knowing that public senti-
ment at home was hardening against
him, but confident that he had chosen
wisely between the evils; never re-
GREETING his choice, but greatly sad
- L IL &~s ~