Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-11-29

have been fairly we'll satisfied with the
result. But I should have had a right
!. 10 expect our own representatives TO
drlve better bargains than they ac-
tuaily did. We were incoming when
we should have had our wits about us.
VT. wilson was so taken up with his
mission that he neglected the simple
precaution Of setting himself free from
the secret treaties at the armstice con-
ference. IL was. | think, the inevi-
taDle result of the psychology of the
crusade. Moreover, Mr.. Wilson, even
liberated from this exalted mental
state, probably is not the hest bar-
gamer in the world.
Bargaining Is a trade in itself. And
Mr.. Wilson's trade is swaying great
masses OF men, even swaying the whoje
world by his words. Details are irk
some to him, as they always are I,
men of his type; so is the conflict of
wills IN limited circle around a coun
cll table. And Mr.. Wilson did not
brlng along good bargainer with him
to aid him. Colonel House was bis
Cnlet ; agent and Colonel House is too
lncorrigible an optimist, too impatient
OF details himself and too ready com
promlser to drive hard bargain. Mr..
wilson was best at a fight in the omen
in which he could enlist all the great
moral forces of humanity on his side
Colonel House was always an infiu-
ence, perhaps just the sufficient in
huence,. against any such a fight.
Looking upon it then as coldly as I
can at this short distance of time Paris
turned out to be place of bargaining
anu we were not the best barga1ners
We got about 90 or 60 per cent of what
we should have got. But does that
| prove that we must never do the thing
again. as Senators Borah and johnson
so solemnly assure us? That is not a
very sporting way, of looking at IL or a
very american way; 1t is like mans
saying because his first venture in bust
ness turned out a half failure that he
VIII never try business again. Such
| is not the way great business successes
are made. most of which are founded
| on the lessons of the first failure. This
time, at Paris. we were totally mex
perienced. The next time we shall have
mad experience. This time we fooled
ourselves. The next time we shall send
better bargainers for no President will .
ever venture to dispatch such dele
CATION to great international con
ference as Mr., Wilson sent to Paris.
Membership Inevitable
| And by the next time mean when
we are members of the league of ma.
ions which Messrs. Borah and johnson
SO much dread. For 1 believe that
membership in it is inevitable. The
combination was not created at Paris.
1t was rather named at Paris. That
was all. The war has narrowed the
world and we can't keep out of thu
ruling group whether we will or no. or
II we can we cannot escape the conse-
quences of its actions. We did not ca.
cape the consequences of the actions
OF the balance of power in Europe when
we lhouSht we were completely iso-
lated. We were drawn inevitably into
the war that resulted from its mis-
takes.
The great war was sure to end in q
combination of the victorious nations
I,r LOT the purpose of ruling the world.
me combination would probably have
oeen an alliance, openly one and ga
known by name, harsh and arbitrary
Ar. wilson succeeded in getting it call.
ed league of nations and in admittina
Others into its deliberations, with rather
imlted ii powers, to be sure, than the
tiree or four big nations that would
nave made UP the alliance. He also
lnduced the combination to adopt a pact
winch, in effect, is self denying crdi
nance by which members agree to h,
governed by certain principles of jus
wills. "A SWEEP
We Americans sit in this organization
ana by our one vote we have a veto
upon its activities. If we don't like
Europe we can veto Europe. II Nv,
nave the courage and strength of charac.
ter. If we did not enter, the aIlianc.,
would still have been there. 1t would
nave probably been composed of Eng.
iand, France and Japan. one of th,
three being slightly unfriendly powel
or, at dQV rate a
ance against us. We should have hai
nothing to say about the policies Of TN.
aiiiance' But when it went wrong 81
large scale we should have borne tIii
consequences, just as we did when In,
paIahee OF power went wrong.
l don't think Mr.. Wilson SO mucl
got us into q world combination as h,
got the world combination into whici
we almost inevitably were forced to en-.
ter made fairly respectable-one pres
senting reasonable hopes for the fu,
ture, one that substituted for the pur,
rule OF might sort of rudimentary in
ternational justice, not the perfec
about, but still some more Justice thar
would otherwise have been there.
And as Allen White said at Paria
there remains the hope for the future
The politics of the world Is now In a.
hands OF the men who failed In the past
WHOSE blindness ana injustice brOugA
on the war. The situation, as at Para
naturally looks somewhat bad. m
hope Of the world, however, Is NOT n
these men, who will soon pass. but r
the young men who are coming up esl
who learned the lessons of life on til
field Of battle and In the bitter sacrf
fees Of the trenches. And even NOV
there are men like General SHUTS ami
Lord Robert Cecil with vision beyonl
that of Paris.
You see all that Is left Of my faith
the hot faith Of the crusade days. 4
the belief that MIR. Wilson did not reaff
create anything at Paris. but gave
name with some inspiration in it, an
constitution with some posslbiIitid
in It, 10 a thing that surely existed
any event and which, left to itself, wouh
have been much narrower, harder. NOR
arbitrary and moro dangerous thai
that which Is now In the hands OF man
kind 1t is in the hands Of mankind
1t depends in the long future upon til
people. 1t will be as good a, league n
the people of the world deserve to have
The best faith one can hold is that In
people in the end will, as William Allie
White said: fool the fellers who tria
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