Evening journal., 1919-03-01
FRENCH SUPPORT
THEIR premier
tContInued dom pase one.l


Father Victory" the determination q
crown his labors by securing for his
country the possibility Of future exls
tence. Like every other Frenchmar
who knew that the peace conference
by It's decisions would determine
whether France was 20 live or TO die
and like every other Frenchman he
came from the battlefield to the green
table resolved that France should live
Brings Disappointment.
Mr.. Wilson came 10 Paris resolved
that there should be a league OF ma
tions. Encountering az Paris this
unanimous French motion, finding
French interest and French attention
nxed upon the salvation OF France
rather than upon the formulation Of
the principles Of "a league Of nations.
Mr. Wilson and those associated with
/ him were not successful In concealing
their disappointment or their dsap-
proval Of what seemed TO them a par
tlcularistic national policy. When
France as a whole asked Mr.. Wilson to
80 and see her devastated regions, that
he might understand her heart, he re-
turned a cold and unequlvocal mega
tive. ] do not think that any single
act OF any man ever carried with IL
profounder disappointment than Mr..
Wilson's refusal to go 20 the northern
regions and see what tho boche had
done.
And we have had, week after week,
a slow but sure change in French
emotion with respect TO the President.
He was hailed by the little people OF
France as a savior He was hailed as
a man who came from another world
TO deliver France and other peoples OF
the world from the shadow Of tragedy
which had been. and little by little his
course here had the effect at least OF
creating the impression that he cared
nothing for the life or death Of France. |
that he was not concerned with those |
things which the tragic years OF war
had burned Into the soul OF every |
French man and woman.
do not think it is possible accur-
aiely to represent how profound was
the disappointment Of France at this
course OF the American president. A
sense first Of desertlon and then OF ut
Ter Isolation crept into the French
heart as more and more the American
attitude toward France passed from
mere GOODNESS with respect OF French
necessities TO open criticism and hardly
concealed suspicion. do not think
ono would exaggerate by saying that
three months ago France believed the
war won and today, as a result Of what |
has occurred here IN the peace confer /
ence, there Is something amounting 10 |
real terror lest the war shall be LOST
after all, and France left alone again
across the pathway OF Germany in
creased in power and population by
the last war.
Sought Americas Support.
Before the assassin's bullet struck ffs
distinguished mark there was perhaps
a certain amount OF feeling IN France
mat some portion OF the responsibility
Tor the division between America and |
france might be charged 10 French I
eauership- There was a feeling That
10 sacflhce could be too great 10 as
ure the support OF America for )
rance. I'm not sure that result OF ,
us might not have been to bring
oout change in the French cabinet p
tnough All France remains forever I,
tlelul 70 the leader who was The a,
ihDol OF victory who made war in n
while Others thought OF can N
Ilation P ~
The first emotion In France wbpn ., 4,
came known that Clemenceu had been n,
.'io sueA uoWh was to rally about the
jured chief There was realization
ul,e' nneui9te ana Intense, that In all recent
oohs ne mas been fighting against n,
oal ouus ana the presence OF real OBJ Il,
soles ., 20 secure for France that with "a
~ ", Mllicn she cannot hope TO live And mi
.,, c,eulenceu should live TO continue his n
IN e,, III tne peace conference, ] do not m
eneIe there Is the smallest question ~
taS ne WIN speak for France without \,
y ,iuSSlillcellon or Limitation. And II Mr.. r.
y J, i'sun, returning to Paris, shall seem
France, I do. not think he viii be,o
.estso OF French support left. either :
among the big people or the little neo o
PIC whose hearts were preyiouslv :
stirred by his coming and grievousiy p
wounded by his refusal Ia 20 and 80 &
Win his own eyes all they had besn c.
called upon to endure In the common S
cause. '''''ion n
There is a new mood In Paris which il
comedies with the Clemenceau traged,, II
but in measure antedated il The eboi
OF the anarchist was a rude ayyabenine O
to world which was stfn talling
about Utopia while the bolsheviks oc. v
,upy half Of the same continent. Even c
theories embodied in the league Of ma c
ions take on a modified aspect when r
me perceiyes by practical illustration {
hat force and violence remain common 7
af daily nc, q
InSious for Peace.
orm OF sudden desire to get back y
the business OF peace making. There !
not country in the world among all
no were allied against Germany in !
hich the necessity TO make peace, to
t back to work, are not recognized by
!, in which the threat Of anarchy is
It rapidly replacing the menace Of in }
strial paralysis. Nor is this new
pod uninfluenced by the fact that, !
lille the allied countries have adopted 4
inciples OF abstract justice, the new a
rmany has risen from the ashes OF q
eat and begun TO shout threats and h
menaces. 81
.lemenceau was the most forceful p
! picturesque personality In Paris. "
he had his way, his own country III
half adopted little nations scat es
ed about the fringes Of Germany DR.
uld have had some guarantee as co
the future, in fact, before the con- it.
ence Of Paris had devoted weeks TO
settlement Of Hypothetical manda- ca
yes IN Asia Minor and the South Sea be
amos. He did not have his way. and no
~ s,nsle one Of all the PRACTICAL ques- an
~AS DelOre the Davis