The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-03-01
BY HAROLD Il. BECHTOL,

European Manager or the newspaper
Enterprise Association
= Paris, Mar 1.-The meanest prob
lens the American peace mission has
had to meet during President Wilson'S
first peace trip, have arisen from one
cause:
There has been q disposition in some
quarters to accept principles and then
try to hedge on their application.
The American mission has met this
attitude, whenever it showed its heat.
by standing firm, and allowing these
facts to sink home: ..... .,. ,.-.
First-That the allied peoples were
behind the principles.
Second-That principles are laid
down to be applied and that the people
expected to see them applied. ,...-
Third-That the American mission
was not joking about the principles OF
settlement, but regarded them as seri-
Gus obligations which must be devel.
oped into something more than words.
Never did the disposition to seek
exceptions" to principles, however,
lead to serious rupture Of the pro
ceedings.
And commissioners regard this as a
pretty good record for the conference
representing so many nations and such
varied interests.
PESSIN1ISTS FEAR
FOR SCRAPS ABROAD
Pessimists point out that on many
questions the conference to date has
merely scratched the surface, sounded
the sentiment and agreed on broad
principles and the broader applications
OF them. And that therefore, i'll view
Of the tendency sometimes to hedge
real scraps may lie ahead when it
comes to Fat proposition Of making
each specific case fit the principle.
Conference delegates, those who
know the most about what has been
going on, are fairly beaniing with Opt.
misnl, however. They are pleased and
more than that, they are surprised at
the unallimity that has been turned ul
and they say the progress has, in many
cases, been beyond their fondest cx
pectations. ~
1t becomes more apparent every day
that President Wilson tour in Europe
before the opening Of the peace confer
ence was Invaluable to his program.
WILSONIAN PEACE
DESIRED BY EUROPE
The reception given Wilson by the
people Of the European nations was
regarded not only by him, but by tho
European statesmen as meaning sin
cere hope for a Wilsonian peace, rather
than u personal tribute. .,I
And this knowledge has undoubtedly
smoothed the path for making a peace
along the lines President Wilson has
laid down.
French papers, which have comment
ed on the tendency to seek exceptions
occasionally, say that the European
statesmen knew the sentiment Of Eu
rope 50 well that they were, afraid no.
to" agree to principles for which VIII
son stood pat.
It is no secret that there were time.
when the Americans were somewha
fed up" with the attitude Of certain
statesmen ... BE-.
On one occasion, when the Guesti),
of armament and enforcement Of
league Of nations decisions were I'm
der discussion, a violent war scare WI.
turned loose in France. Everybody
was sure Germany was about to "rOmt
back with an awful blow tat wo,l1(
lay France low, and stagger the world
RETRACT REPORT FOCH
FEARED WAR RENEWAL '.'
Marshal Foch was quoted as seem;
the menace" but this quotation was
later retracted by the paper that mad,
it. Foch is mighty insistent on :
strong defensive arrangement to pro
tect France in years to come, but d,