The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1919-03-15

LIFTING THE VEIL
We are frequently told that all the nations represented
at Paris and all the nations of Europe are enthusiastic for the
league of nations. Mr.. Wilson told us this. But it is some
thing more or something less than the whole truth. We have
a good many excerpts from London and Paris and Rome
and somebody has been kind enough to send the
Tribune an occasional copy of the London Telegraph, the Lon
don News and the London Chronicle. Here are a few para
from the London Telegraph, chiefly from the pen of E.
Dillon, frequently referred to as the dean of the newspaper
correspondents at the Paris conference,
Mr.. Dillon reports one British statesman as follows:
The conference may decree. but its writ will not be re
spected in u country, not W if we ae obliged to sign, seal
and ratfy the treaty; it will be a dead letter from the start.
And here is another from Mr.. Dillon:
One of Europe's most eminent statesmen confessed tic me
that he had been watching the procedure If the conference with
growing dismay, because of the waste If a unique opportunity
of saving the world from a destructive upheaval. He dwelt
upon the fierce war Of words precipitated by the mode Of e.
distributing the German colonial possessions. "As if It really
mat.ered," he exclaimed, whether you call the power that an
nezes the possessOr' o the administrator when the people feel
or suspect that the distinction is dictated by a resolve to leave
this power in perpetual possession, and GUST that power later
on"
And Mr.. Dillon tells us that these comments are fairly
indicative of what is felt under the surface--what is really in
mems hearts and minds. He suggests that they are going
through the forms of acquiescing in these things in order to
have them out of the way for others which over there are re-
garded as really vital.
The Australian premier, Mr.. Hughes, demanding that
Australia be not shackled by the socalled Observation-Disclosures
of their islands and their colonies, instead of leaving them to
those who took them and who, as in the case of Australia, re-
gard them as vital to their own safety-Mr. Hughes says with
vehemence:
1t is sometimes said that those who were far off did not
understand at once in 1914 the grandeur of the cause for which
the world a tearing itself to pieces. We were far off. and we
understood at nee. 1t was not half way through the struggle
that W e fastened to the defense of civilization. We had a pop
ulation of 100000 men and W e armed a tenth of them. From
the beginning until the end of the tragedy WI had six fighting
divisions o the front, without counting one in Asia Minor.
We suffered heavier losses than the whole of America; 255Ooo
of our sons we're either killed. crippled or wounded. Never was
IN appeal to their courage and devotion made in vain. But
now that they are dead it seems that the procedure in virtue
of which they gave their lives a a bad me To indemnify
them a new n is to be established-remote and slow. Not
now is the destiny of the world going to be decided. That will
come later. 1t is to be the task Of arbiters. I know not who
they arr to be, when they Ire to come, or whence.
AS to Italyts attitude, Mr.. Dillon in the Telegraph says:
taly's attitude toward Mr.. Wilson's proposal is entirely
congruous with my forecast of it some weeks ago, when I an
nounced that the italian statesmen now at the conference will
be absolutely unable to assent to the abandonment of Fiume
because of their deep rooted conviction of Itays
right to it. and also because of the articulate ma
ton whose trustees they IT. has not invested them with pow
es to sign it away. If. therefore. the conference adjudicated
Fiume to the Jugoslavs, the Italians may continue to stick to
it, not only in virtue of what they deem their countrys inaien-
able right. but also in the name of the new political evangel
preached by Mr.. Wilson, n dogma of which is sef-determina-
ton; and the inhabitants of Fiume. they add, n unanimous
in demanding the incorporation of Ffume in Victor Emmanuels
realm.
This implies a flat refusal of at least one nation to COM
ply with the proposed mandates" even before they have
formulated. If nations are doing that now, what will
they be doing ten years from now?
According to the Telegraph, England yielded to the plan
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