The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1919-11-21
MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
WHERE ARE WE?

The action of the Senate in virtually
leaves the American people wondering
where they are.
The treaty of Versailles, which a
year ago the people of the world hoped
would define the status of nations and
bring on a lasting peace, has proven
the most ridiculous and the most
tragic of all affairs in the annals of
diplomacy.
If, when the armistice was signed
over a year ago, when the enemy was
PROSTATE and the armies of the al
lies were in full force. the civilians
at the heads of the triumphant ma
tons had told their leading generals
to sit down around council table and
cut the maps of the enemies coun-
tries to pieces with their swords, the
said generals would have made
peace and nailed it down in thirty
days. 1t would have been a rough
peace, but it would have been last
ing one, and would have suited every
body better than the one we haven't
made at the end of over a year.
Instead, Mr.. Wilson gathered an
immense and expensive encourage and
departed to Paris, to set the whole
world exactly right, with every ma
TONS tears wiped away and its nose
bowed
We have a great belief in the wis
dom of Mr.. Wilson. 1t is our belief
that he knows better than any other
man just what is best for the nations
CT the earth to do. If they would all
mind him, he could make love of a
world. Perhaps he has learned from
the lessons of this year that great
many who disagree with him will also
.dIsobey him when they have the
power to do so.
A great deal of this disobedience
Mr.. Wilson could have avoided by the
common sense the average politician
possesses. The war was not a party
war. Americans had forgotten to be
democrats or republicans. Mr.. Will
son should have kept this up. He
should have consulted with republi-
cans as we'll as democratic statesmen
before going to Paris, and he should
have taken some eff the wisest men of
both parties with him. He took with
him no man who had any weight at
home or abroad. He was the whole
cheese, and it was not long after he
had been in Paris before the astute
Europeans had made him more Swiss
than American.
Mr.. Wilson returned to America in
February. He brought with him pre-
ronition of a treaty, which treaty
defying minority of the Senate de-
clared it would not accept. Mr.. Will
son knew these men and their power.
He knew he couldn't pass the treaty
over their votes. He should have come
to an understanding with them. In
stead, he defied them, went back to
Paris, helped to finish the treaty,
brought it home and tried to push it
thru. After FIVE more months, dur
ing which time the whole world has
suffered from the delay, the treaty
has been handed back to Mr.. Wilson
by the Senate, with mot available
written on it in large letters.
The Star is not surprised at the &C
ton of the Senate, which has done ex-
actly what we said it would do over
eight months ago. We never expected
that Senate minority to be moved by
Mr. Wilson's arguments or by the
expressions of opinion from the peo-
pie.
Mr.. Wilson has bungled, but the
Senate has sinned. Mr.. Wilson has
been domineering and lacking in di-
plomacy, but he has been honest. The
treaty had faults, but it was as good
a one as could have been drawn up
while it's trainers were trying to con-
slider so many conflicting interests. 1t
was a better one than any that q
delegation of our Senate could have
drawn up. 1t had the approval of the
worlds greatest statesmen, who knew
Nv experience and from history that
in such a treaty no nation could have
everything its own way. 1t would
have let the world know where it
stood. It would have given the nations
a starting point and guide, both OF
which they, wearied by war, would
probably have observed. Now, we
stand back in the old days of balance
of power and inconstant alliances, and
our own country must either maintain
an immense armament or expose
itself to the attacks of warlike peo-
pies.
1t has not been from patriotism that
the Senate has done this. 1t has been
from partisan politics and personal
late of Woodrow Wilson-either a
most ignoble incentive.
1t is no wonder that we wonder
where we are. We have no rule to go
by, and no precedent to guide US. 1t
will be we'll for US to Immediately
suppress the traitors among us at
once, before we have to again face
enemies from the outside.