The sun., 1919-03-15
'CRITiCISES MAKEUP
OF U. 5. PEACE BODY
Major Frederick Palmer Says
Veteran Fighters Should
Be Recognized.
SEES IMMIGRATION PERIL
Failure Of Wilson to Visit
Battlefields Deplored in
City Club Speech.

1t is the opinion of Major Frederick
Palmer, who as war correspondent and
soldier was present at the fighting on
all the European fronts as well as the
peace making now under way, that
This country might have done we'll to
accredt a few veteran soldiers TO the
Peace Conference In place of a few OF
the men who represent us there now
n President Wilson had visited the
battle fronts Of Europe as we'll as lite
capital cities his popularity might be
even greater with the European peo-
Piles than II is.
He expressed himself TO this effect last
night in an address at the City Club, in
which he talked on Europe To-day and
Tomorrow" He told of the vast tide OF
immigration which. If 1t is permitted, will
flow out of Germany toward this coun-
try when peace is established explained
the various conditions and interests
which, aside from the ideals which vii
mainly >dictste, will be represented in
the terms Of the peace treaty.
Opportunities He Overlooked.
He then told what, In his opinion. were
some OF the opportunities which Presi-
dent Wilson overlooked In his travels
about Europe. He said in part:
THE political leadership of each coun-
try was studying his mentality, his
habits and those of his advisers in order
to bring his influence to favor their
claims. He made a tour of the capitals,
where the crowds cheered him and the
streets were hung with banners in his
praise. No one was ever more acclaimed.
But in this l think he was badly advised
There was no doubling his purpose no
doubling his great service to the world.
''But The real public opinion of the
Allies was not with the crowds Of the
cities, which have the curiosity and the
chanseabihty OF crowds. 1t was with all
the adult voters of Europe under forty
Ave who have been fighting. They are in
uniform and IL publicly they were rot
privately, voceless. What they think
and what they feel go home to the
mothers and fathers in the peasau.
homes and the humble homes of the
cities With an influence more telling
than the cheers OF crowds.
They are not soldiers by profession,
but citisens-the citizens who will
mould the future. They have learned to
think in simple terms In face OF death.
Wilson had a place in the hearts OF the
soldiers. They thought he was trying
to find way out from repetition OF
the tragedy. whose monstrous horror
and wicked folly they knew in four
years experience,
IF the President had gone on 10 the
battlefields of the Piave. where the ltal-
ians turned the tide against Austria. or
to the 1zorzo and to Nerdun where the
French IN the shambles kept the enemy
from passiu, to the Ypres salient
wher the British saved the Channel
ports. and to Liege. where the little Bel
10 a n n 1.
and eye TO eye with the survivors of
veteran divisions on their battlefields.
with a simple red blood message to them
as the men whose red blood heroism and
sacrifice had saved the world, he could
have given them a message which would
have stirred the men of Europe and
every mother and wife.
Does Not Blame President.
at MAS not the Presidents fault, bu; !
that OF his advisers upon whom he must
depend for direction. He missed a grea
opportunity. IT is because one is for n
League OF Nations that one regrets this |
But our country, too. had 1000, 900 men
IN France. From Chateau Thierry |
through to the day they broke the Ger |
man line after that inconceivable six !
weeks of bloody attack in theArgonne, |
they had endured hardships beyond your (!
conception here at home, endured them |
silently and heroically.
our soldiers were for the President /
He was their Commander In Chief They |
were not all militarists, but pacific as
any doctrinaire at the Peace Conference !
who can have no greater honor than 10
claim them as fellow citizens He did 4
not come to see their battlefield of this !
Argonne. Some of them were thinking ,
of Lincoln at Gettysburg. The address ,
that he gave in reviewing divisions ~ 7
our old training area struck our men /
generally as academic and cold. /
81 was sorry, too. that the soldiers /
who were in attendance at the Peace
Conference had not been chosen from
among the men with two and three and |
four wound stripes. If the suffering that /
one had seen had not made one charita.
BILE TO all opinions. he might have re-
scented certain attitude on the part OF
some attaches of the conference fresh
from home and OF military age. who F.
seemed TO think that the fellows who
had TO 10 into uniform and were stuck
in France were out of luck.
Il WAS glad that Mr.. House stopped !
some OF the Joy riding in Government
cars about Paris by the wives Of Peace
Conference delegates Soldiers who had
been eighteen months IN France and !
had not yet seen their new babies and
might not have their wives in France.
appreciated such little act of thought
fulness. Mr., House has been n fine in
huence. The world owes n lot to tha,
little man.
Europeans .have a sense Of humor as
we'll as ourselves. Some satrists re-
called grandmother and the eggs as they
oYr professors attached to
the Peace Conference, who had been
little in Europe, coming over to teach
Europe its geography and ethnology yet
those very professors may be useful as
arbters
THE President went on a shining
odyssey for great deals All men who
know war in its dregs want his ideal
TO prevail | am for League of Ma
tons, any League OF Nations--and
formula which will be IA start In ending
war. But no league OF any kind, moth
ing the lawyers can devise, will end war
unless We put violence out of our hearts
and we learn international good will,
which begins by putting yourself in
your neighbours place whatever language
he speaks.
Must he Charitable.
Violence breeds war--and opinions
seem pretty violent at the conference
and even more violent at home. Are
we to make peace II We are not charita-
Il Il 4 -