Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-11-02

the absence of Wilson, was to produce
the resolution of which have spoken
to bring about a preii n;nn not tr eaiy
the military terms, but practically
everything else except the league OF
nations. Gen. Foch argued persistent,
ly that the whole thing co1id anu
weeks, the boundary Of Germany per
manently established at the Rnine,
and that allied armies should then
march to Russia and with the ASSIST
ance of Polish. Lithuanian and Cecno.
sloyak forces quickly put down, ths
bolshevists.
one asked, who will pay the cost OF
this expedition" and 1t appeared
from which the money and supplies
could be had.
They set March "a week before
President Wilson's return) as the
date for the final reports OF the com.
mittees; and the military, naval ana
air terms were actually in hand some
days before the George washington
arrived at Brest. go
When the discussion of these mill
tary reports began q very remark
able situation developed. 1t was not
surprising that the terms were found
to be exceedingly drastic, for they
were made by men who had just
their first form, for example. they
provided that Germany should never
have an army of more than 100000
men, and that all production. export
and import of military material
should be reported-without limit of
governments. Upon further exami-
nation it was discovered that the
supervision and enforcement of all
these terms, besides boundary and
other questions inextricably, bound
up with them, would require most
complicated machinery of commits
sions and a vast organization, in
volving the permanent maintenance
of the allied high command, with a
military force to support its orders.
1t meant, in short, continuing mill
tary dictatorship on the part of the
allies. The Americans soon saw that
this meant also a permanent partici-
patton of America in military
domination Of Europe.
1t appeared clearly-more clearly
the further the discussion developed
that some sort of organization was
absolutely necessary to hold the al
lies together. secure the peace won
again. on its way; and that this or
ganization must be either military or
civil.
Organization or Anarchy.
world anarchy.
The President had clearly foreseen
just this situation, and from the be-
ginning had been for establishing an
organizations league of nations
at the very time that the peace terms
therefore. and found quite other plans
afoot he acted with the utmost
promptness and vigor, as 1 have
shown. And in the first meetings of
the peace conference afterward he
showed, and showed with penetrat-
ternational control in all these mat
tiers had already been provided in the
covenant of the league of nations and
that If this covenant became a part
of the treaty accepted by Germany
the machinery of uture organization
under civil control was there to be
used. In this he had the support of
Mr.. Lloyd-George. 1t is significant
that, although a great hullabailoo Of
criticism of Wilson and objection to
the league and its Incorporation in
the treaty was heard outside of the
conference. there was practically no
fight at all within the conference aft
er the President made his position
clear, for it was the absolute logic Of
the situation. One hesitates to think
what KIND OF q treaty might have
been adopted IL President Wilson had
not been at Paris.
The next article in. this series will
deal with the third great crisis Of the
peace conference-that in which the
President, growing utterly discour-
aged with the situation, ordered the
/ George Washington to sail imme.
diately for Brest, Involving the pos
sibility of American withdrawal from
the conference.