El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-07-02

nations, actually delayed the progress
OF settlement OF terms upon the ma
terial problems. This IS totally IN
exact When Mr.. Wilson reached Eu-
rope in December he did not lind
France and Britain with programs
arranged or with policies agreed upon
On the contrary, neither country mad
framed q program jointly OF sepa-
ratelv. Britain. under Lloyd George S
impulsion. had gone through the
throes OF an election, which had con-
sumed all the energies and attention
OF its statesmen. France was Wrest-
ling with the grim problems OF reor-
ganization, temporary. inciplent re-
organization, after four years and a
half ofiinvasion and devastation.
Did Not Force League Plan
Mora than this. the president did
not bring his league OF nations plan
to Europe and force It upon reluc-
ranr or hostile conference. Before he
had even reached Europe Great Brit
ain had decided to champion this great
experiment and many British minis
tiers had taken their turn at devising
actual machinery. for the president
had not gone beyond the Vaguest
conception Of a world league.l If the
French were frankly increoulous and
openly critical. they We're on the
other hand. totally unready with a
program for the peace conference
and their own plans were not disar =
RANGED By lIr Wilson'S purposes At
the league Of nations part OF the bust
ness Of the peace conference was IN
more advanced shape than the bal
ance. nor was the attention Of the
conference diverted from actual peace
making BIZ this detail
When the president reached Eu-
rope he received one Of the most as
tonishing welcomes ever given to any
public man in history. probably with
out precedent He was hailed with
enthusiasm by millions who saw in
him the promise Of . new age with
out any clear notion in their own
minds as to what this new and golden
age was to be. but with plain and
Doienant appreciation OF what the
world they lived in had been in recent
years For a moment the president
was the most popular man in Enrope-
On the whole. he lost nearly II not
All Of This popularitv in the follow
ing months. hut not all Of the respon-
sibflitv was his. although. in the case
Of France II was largely personal
And the decline in popularity Of
Lloyd George and Clemenceau was az
least proportiOnate-
The fact was that The millions
who welcomed the president with
m unforsettable enthusiasm ex-
pected n miracle. They did not,
rs many now argue, look for a
pence Of Cancellation with Ger
many which should be ObtHined by
letting Germany off lightly and
putting on their own shoulders
the burden of the costs Of the
war and the German depreda-
tiOnS. On the contrary, they hated
the Germans vita just rs intense
hatred rs ever and they were
prepared to stand behind their
respective governments in ali de-
mands, however extreme, which
adFantaEed themselves. The mood
of the masses was something
quite different from what has
been asserted These misses had
fought the war through, they
were dog tired with the agOnies
and sufferinEs. they hated this re
rent war. they hated all wars
they wanted peace ard the millen-
fun1. but they did not want TO pay
the price, If any price could con-
tribute 20 the end desired
All Of this the president vac 10 dis
cover the moment he undertook, TO
apply cold logic 20 the claims OF me
French. for example Actually he dis
covered IL even before this. for with
in one month after he reached France
he had lost French sympathy for ever
BY a single action All France. every
Erenchman and French woman de-
mauded. expected, awaited a presiden-
tial visit to the devastated areas.
France desired that 1lr. Wilson should
see her wounds that he might better
appraise German offendings and
therefore deal with them more Sc
done in all the Industrial districts Of
the north. the French believed Mr.
Wilson would the more readily accept
French estimates OF the bills Ger
many must pay.
Fearez He Might Nsee Red
On his part. however, the president
promptly and firmly declined these
Invitations. ae explained that he
desired 10 act without passion and
that II he saw Flanders and Artois
he might see red" where 1T was es-
zential 70 see without emotion The
refusal marked the immediate end Of
Mr. Wilson's popularity in France.
The breach was final and irrevoca-
bic. Thereafter he disappeared from
the thoughts Of the masses Of the
people. henceforth he was no more
than Orlando or Lloyd George, 4 visit
ing statesman. When, in the course
Of the discussion. the voice OF Amer
fca was raised TO reduce French de-
mands on the financial side. the dis
appointment famed NJ into something
like positive anger He has not seen
our wounds yet he would reduce our