The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-04-11
NORTHERN OHIOIS
PERPLEXED BUT IS
CALMLY HOPEFUL
Lawrence Finds Upper Part of
Buckeye State at Loss to
Explain Conflicting Reports
on Peace, But Unafraid.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
tThe News sclmltar's Special corre-
spondent.O

~spOndent.)
CLEVELAND, o., April l1.-Northern
ohio-and it is probably typical Of other
sections Of the country-is simply per-
picked and bewildered by the contra
dictory dispatches from the Paris peace
conference, and thoughtful men tell me
they shall give credence to nothing now
Until 1t is officially announced,
They look askance at the reports that
President Wilson is threatening to with
draw the American delegation, and
wonder What would happen II he really
ala Yet n would hardly say they are
panicky or excited-there's a seif-con-
tanned calmness about the people here
which may or may not have arisen
from the remarkable demonstration
during the war of Americas independ-
ence economically and physically.
anyway, folks here are not worried
put wondering. They can't believe that
Mr.. Wilson would abruptly come away
from the Paris conference and confess
to the American people that all the talk
OF agreement on fundamentals and har-
mony Is ~unfounded. The most that any
one who has given any thought to the
subject will believe is that Mr.. Wilson
may have threatened to take the tenta-
tive agreements back to the United
States, give them fun publicity and ask
the American people whether they care
to guarantee such settlements--or that
he might give the American mission in
structions to sign a treaty only along
the lines OF his previous announcements
and start for home.
Prestige Injured.
But the mixup, as reflected in the
Paris dispatches which are given SEN
sational headlines In most Of the news
papers, Is not helping Mr.. Wilson with
public opinion, but i~njuring his prestige.
People here, to tell the truth, didn't
want the president to go abroad, but
were willing to abide by his judgment
that II was necessary to make peace.
But five months have gone by and there
Is no peace. They place responsibility
for domestic tangles largely upon Mr..
wilson on the theory that judging by
what ha been accomplished In Paris he
might have chosen ambassadors to ex-
pound the views he wishes to see
adopted. They are generally unfamiliar
with the intricacies of the Paris confer
ence and with the reasons which Mr..
WILSON'S friends usually assert, made 1t
necessary for him to go to Europe to
explain the IA points, All they know is
that to date there Is neither peace nor
an agreement on the league OF nations
ana while they are almost unanimous
hereabonts In believing IN a league they
are much more Interested in a procla-
nation Of peace at an early date.
Among the men who have carefully
read and analysed the European view
points, find an almost universal ten
dency to look upon the French as the
chief obstacle to peace, and 1t causes
one to wonder whether the prestige of
France is not diminishing to such an
extent indeed that, when the United
States government ceases to make pub
lie loans to Europe and private bank
ers take up the question of French
loans, 1t will not be difficult to over
come the many ~prejudices against
France which are just now accumu-
lating.
Outlook Promising,
But while / find an intense interest
In the doings Of tho peace conference
in its relationship to trade, some OF
my close friends here, who are in q
position to know what the volume OF
business In Northern Ohio Is, talk In
the most glowing terms of the outlook.
The retail houses are doing an almost
unprecedented trade. Money seems
plentiful and there Is not as much OF
that hesitancy In buying which one
hears about further east. Indeed, peo-
pie are beginning to build homes and
buy real estate n to make purchases
In seeming Indifference to the caution
Of those who believe prices must drop.
On the other hand. there Is more OF
y fear Of rising prices than a decline.
And business men insist 1t Is not nee
essary to reduce wages.
The answer to the very evident pros, |
perity and liveliness of this section Ia
to be found In the psychological fac
tofs-the state of mind Of the public.
one man expressed II thus: II prac-
ticed thrift. during the war, | acono-
mized rigidly. Now the wal IL over,
mead MANY fhinpg fhaR I baua ba.,
purposely doing without, / have the
%things?"
SO there is a sort Of reaction against
the self Imposed restrictions In war
time, which may or may not be re-
~sponsible for the tremendous business
being done by the retail merchants and
department stores here. as we'll as In
Pittsburgh and Buffalo. Advertising Is
greater than 1t has been in many
months-poster and street car space,
crowded newspapers and magazines
why, the advertising men tell me they
never saw such an upward turn, OF
pesstmism n hears practically moth
ing. There seems to be an underlying
feeling that, economically speaking,
America il absolutely sound and get
ting ready for n boom. While one likes
to think those things, one must be
carefal not to let the wish boom father
to the thought, | have been pleasantly
surprised by the plain undercurrent or
confidence which runs through Ohio and
Western Pennsylvania.
Politically, Northern Ohio is very
much like the central part OF the state,
much d~ispleaaed with the Democratic
management of things, The best analy-
sis Of the situation here. which | OBJ
tanned from all the Democrats and Re-
puhlicans with whom ] talked, come |
from a man who Is a personal friend
OF the president, a staunch Democrat
and a liberal one, too, a man who In
my previous travels in this section has
always seemed to make predictions that
subsequently proved true.
II must admit he said. that Mr..
Wilson's prestige has declined, partly
because of the situation OF his party
and partly because of the failure to
get peace, The latter fact may change
with developments, but | have vet to
find n Democrat or Republican who
did not or still does not resent the
letter sent out by the president last
fall asking for a Democratic congress,
The effects are still noticeable, there
has not been much change since last