New-York tribune., 1919-03-18
u aris Press
DeploresPeace
Terms Delay
Echo de Paris Says Con-
ferrees Lack Method in
Considering the Issues
Neau York Tribune
Cnr,,o5 T-IJz

Special Cable Service
Copyright. 1918. New York Tribune Inc)
PARIS, March 16.--President Will
sons failure to attend the meeting of
the Supreme War Council called to dis
cuss military terms for Germany has
evoked varied comment in the French
press. The echo de Paris" thus tells
the story:
will the hopes we were allowed to
entertain during the last week be dis
sipated? Will the conference. which
seemed TO be on the way to a rapid
conclusion of the peace preliminarics,
once again drag on from adjournment
to adjournment?
'The military decree for Germany
already had been discussed, modified,
approved, printed and set for debate
yesterday. Final ratification was thought
so certain that the agenda also con-
tanned the Polish frontier question,
which has been studied for weeks past
by special commission. The discus
sion commences. Fifty persons are
present-ministers diplomats, generals,
admirals, etc.
Suddenly and unexpectedly arrives
letter from Mr. Wilson demanding
that discussion of the decree be ad-
journed to Monday to give him time to
study the document. 1t was agreed.
Lloyd George Asks Delay
"Happily, the Polish question was
left to save the face of the meeting.
But Poland has no better luck. Mr..
Lloyd George has not had time to form
an opinion on the commissions report
For this also an adjournment.
ut is needless to say that in report
ing these Incidents we do not accuse
men who are certainly doing their best.
But isn't it possible to spare the sys-
tenn Heads of governments who desire
to be the only real potentiaries
of their respective countries are in
clned by the very multiplicity Of their
responsibilities to subordinate foreign
policy to domestic politics to a degree
beyond reason.
"This subordnation of foreign policy
comes about for two reasons: First, |
because the heads of the governments
necessarily are immersed in parlia-
mentary and other affairs; second, be-
cause coming direct from the tumult
their ears are still deafened by its
noise when they return to the great
deiberation. The fact that personal
questions occupy at the present mo-
ment large place in the controversies
between the various states still further
aggravates the difficulties revealed to-
day.
Weakness of Diplomacy
Let us still further note the conse-
quences. On the seventeenth of
March, a whole month will have elapsed |
since the signature Of the last armis-
tice, which is to be denounced after
short period. Time is passing. Feed
ing Of the enemy is to begin. A hun
dred thousand tons have been unloaded |
at Rotterdam. Demobilization is going
on Our means Of pressure on Ger
many is diminishing though we have
not compelled her to accept our chief
demands.
ut is the great weakness of popular
''p'"'"oNy - ltS ~ W IuONc OpiDlOIl
must sustain it. But how can it arouse
at the same instant in all allied and
associated countries the same move
ment of opinion?
"By it's delays the new diplomacy
would startle the diplomacy of other
days. The only remedy is to clarity
the object Of our alliance and make it |
understood by the masses, avoiding by
every means all vague phraseology"
Figaro" says:
"lf it is only delay of forty y-eight
hours, affairs are not very serious
The conference already has lost time
and need not worry about two or three /
days. We do not for an instant sup
pose that it is suggested to reopen the |
whole question and begin again to dis
cuss clause by clause the text on which |
an agreement has taken so long to es-
ttabllsh. If that were SO, public opin-
ION in all allied countries would learn
1T with gloomy astonishment.
We asked one member of the con-