El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-12-25


: can view uufolded and developed by
/ president Wilson. there can be moth
l ing short O an absolute shock in any
! examination Of the situation in wash
I ington today. The retreat from Paris
I is in many respects the most impress
! i've spectacle sincs the retreat from
{ Moscow
/ Specifically. al least. TO judge BY
! every sign and symptom visible N the
national capital. America today IS
something totally diItereaL iIoi.l ne e..
picture painted by the president IN
Paris a year ago and accepted by our
7 European associates in the recent war
as a'truthful portrait
Even People Responsible.
One may believe the senate. OF the
! president, or both responsible for the
deadlock which now exists over the
treaty, or one may even believe with
AZ least as much warrant that the
people Of the United States them
selves are responsible
Stated badly. the situation IN
Paris was approximately this;
The president told the people OF
Europe that America was pre-
pared 10 lay aside her traditional
policy Of Isolation. abandon her
customary aIO0fnesss IFS very
presence in Paris was taken rs
ultimate evidence of an American
viii to become n partner IN world
administration in new ordering
Of the world.
It was regarded as proof that Amer
lea felt that the war Ind imposed
upon her q mission, and that mission
was without selfish purpose.
Convinced He spoke Rigrht.
In all that he said the president at
all times was convinced that be spoke
for America 50 were an the Ameri-
HH HnH "a #HH
went 10 the peace conference So.
with few exceptions, we're all Ameri-
cans who were In Paris American
idealism was again and again on
American lips Not a few were IN
uliseakablv Of the opinion that Amer
lea had come to Europe on a new Cruz
SADIE, on an expedition 20 abolish old
and evil continental standards and re-
place them with an American ideal.
fortified by American strength and
calculated % make world peace per-
manent
No one has yet presented any ac-
curate picture Of exactly the role
PLAYED by America in the peace con-
ference. Those who preached the cru
sades through Europe centuries ago
nar-ly spoke win more assurance,
more conviction than many americans
employed IN Paris In describing the
american mission. IN proclaiminE @
new system OF International relations
At bottom this new gospel reEt-
ed u1ou the view that American
ideaiiEni. q force ns Vueue and IN
visible AZ an electric current but
not less potent would become, II
accepted by Europe permanent
protection AGAINST future rVur-a
protection far more imnaEEahle
than the Rhine or the Alps, than
any strategic frontier.
IL was the conception OF The presi-
dent. Illustrated in his speeches again
and again. that the PRINCIPLES which
he advocated, the American ideals
which he preached. were not only
American but accepted lv the masses ?
Of the plain people OF Euronean na-
tons, OF the nations recently asso- I
GATED in an alliance AGAINST Ger
many and OF the Ieutonic 2ilies as Z
we'll
STRONGLY Fortified.
I'D lne preaching OF the new gospel {
the president was enormously fortf- (
fled by the fact that ne vas the chief (
executive OF the American nation Nor Z
was he less aided by the unmi stalIa-
Die circumstance that America was I
lnin pa irefl--1 sound Eian. in a world !
Inhabited By the crippled and the 4
In affirming his doctrine he
gave lr irresistible force by proclaim
ing that 81 peace we're made in ac-
cord2nce with American principles all 4
would be available 70 defend those
whether they were eZ-
pressed In terms OF frontiers or OF 4
finance. n
As 20 the principles Europe re-
NAMED skepticaL Ii accepted some
81 In modifyiug- But Great Britain
md France never felt strong enough
openly 20 challenge the presidents
purposes Moreover, the people and
he Statesmen saw as the chief article
D the peace treaty OF Versailles that
american pledge that assured Ameri-
an appearance in European councils =
.eucetorth. saw the league OF nations q
s. the factor which brought America .
o Europe. and accepted 81 on this un- ;
erstaudinE-
No American who was not in En-
ope last winter can conceive the =
Moral prestige OF his nation at that I {
our. The war had almost miracu- .
luslv terminated in victory made {
ossible only By the arrival Of Amerl- q
an masses
Millions Of men and women. a.
well a. children. iu northern .
France, in Beigiums in al Of east
ern and southern Europe, owed q
their lives to American food.
They were literally living On :
American generosity. ts
America was a symbol o. some s
hing Tar more noble and beautiful. as =
-el as powerful. than the masses Of =
eopie had hitherto conceived could q
Iist And even I'm Germany America ! 4.
-as REGARDED as the sole bulWark be- s.
Teen the German people and victori-
Us foes seeking their extinction
] have dwell upon this aspect OF Z
.merican participation in the Paris
difference because 10 was. after all, =
be most remarkable. the most as
1undinE circumstance OF the whole
ssem blaEe- Events combined with 6
II. wilson's own words 20 give TO Z
merica an extraordinary appearance
TH TTIp. Z