Evening star., 1919-03-24
WILSON PRESTIGE IN EUROPE
STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE
Mr.. Simonds Says Opposition in United
States to Presidents Policy Strengthens
His Position at Peace Conference.

nestle political dissensions He was
welcomed as the great American who
was fighting for Europe in America; /;
he resumed his paramount influence
in the peace conference without
single protest, and promptly employed
this influence to overturn the whole
program of Europe.
League Seen as Symbol of Hope.
If the republican party had attack
ed the league of nations covenant. if
it had at one time indicated it's de
termination that the United States
should finish the great task in Eu-
rope, its equal conviction that Mr..
Wilson's tshsn so esoyeJnt based upon mis- IS
transformed. d.. the situation would have
been quite different No government
In Europe cares red cent about the
covenant Of the league of nations:
only Mr.. Wilson, few British states
men. like Robert Cecil, who mainly
composed it. regard it as of impor-
fance- The people of the various ma
tions have only the vaguest ideas
about it; they take it as symbol. not
as legal document.
But in the course of the Paris con-
ference. :he league Of nations has come
to be the concrete demonstration Of the
intention OF America to complete it's
task OF winning the war by giving the
necessary continuing influence to remoy-
ing the ruin. by lending moral as we'll
as material aid. by continuing TO he
a associated with the nations which fought
Germany. Europe. allied Europe. has
understood. now understands. that
american association can only he had
IL Mr.. Wilson's league Of nations ia
created: It also understands that il the
league is created. Americas support is
assured
Therefore. when the republicans adopt
ed or seemed to Europe TO adopt a policy
OF desertion. course involving the
Europe naturally concluded that Mr.
Wilson was their single hope. their one
friend in America the leader whose vic
tory alone could assure the greater VIC
tory which was for them question Of
life or death. An attack upon the league
Of plain people demanded some sort Of
international understanding which will
make future wars impossible. hut he
yond q vague aspiration there is little
clear thinking. In France the league Of
ma tions idea has enlisted little support.
only moderate support in Britain Rut
the thing that the league of nations
ymbolizes-namely, American p9rtici-
patton in world reorganization, is a
thing OF infinite value in all eyes. This
is what opposition in America seemed at
this distance to have assailed.
Bolshevism if q. s. Quits Europe
Today Mr. Wilson's Influence in
Europe. which is Irresistible. rests
upon the general belief that he aud
his party in America are fighting TO
hav" America remain a force for good
and for sanity in the world. while his
opponents are seeking to have the
United States abandon her ipcom-
pletely finished task in Europe. fee
home and erect a barbed wire fence
about America. If we should do this
7 believe the most sober-minded men
over here are satisfied that all Europe
would go bolshevist. certainly that is
my own view.
Thus, in effect. the campaign in
America has taken precisely the one
course which compelled Europe to ac-
cept the actual domination of Mr..
Wilson in the Paris convention. to
permit him to postpone all peace
plans, to confuse, complicate ali pro-
ceedings, to make everything wait on
his own league of nations plan. be-
cause it attacked Mr.. Wilson at the
one precise point where Europe was
bound to support him.
One reads with amazement Ameri-
can discussion. Of the provisions of
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