The sun., 1919-04-08
Apparent Diversion Of
British Premier to France
Annoys President.
LEAVES HIM HELPLESS
Possibility That He Will
Appeal to Congress for
Direct Treaty.
SPELLS DOOM OF LEAGUE
With Allies Deserted Project
Is Little Likely to Be
Revived for Years.
SPELLS DOOM OF LEAGUE
~ LAURENCE HILLS.
Sfa6 Correspondent Of The sur.
Co00r<,Af 1914. Ill .SoAS. ~.s>~.S

Copr-<0As. 1919; sH roAts rsserpeA
PARIS, April President Wilson
served virtual ultimatum on his
associates in the Big Four to-day thai
they must speedily agree on peace
terms or he and his associates will
leave the conference and negotiate a
separate peace with Germany.
This. at least, is the construction
which the Presidents friends would
have placed on the information that
was allowed to be passed around
this morning. which was that the
George Washington had been or
dered to sail for Brest. This IN
formation was not put out in any
official form whatever, the Presi-
dent evidently not desiring at this
time to take a direct course. But
the manner in which it was handed
out by the Presidential spokesnen
made its purpose obvious.
Lloyd George Il Stricken.
Coming as It did coincidens1y
with the news that Premier Lloyd
George had been taken i'll with In
fluenza. having become infected At
the Big Four meetings. conference
circles were plunged into q ferment
at once, with comment and specula-
tion reaching the highest pitch Of
intensity.
A spectacle is presented OF coun
Gil whose four members failed to
agree, having two OF its members In
bed III and getting an Indirect not
fication that agreement must BE-
reached or the President might r.
home. The effect already has been
to produce painful reaction IN
French and British circles, the CON
sequences Of which are yet not cal
culabe.
At Limit Of Patience.
The conclusion is inescapable that
many diplomats are disposed to learn
If possible whether the Presidents
move Is blum. The President to all
appearances is nervously worn out
and while he has been quite Ill Il Is
not said authoritatively that he Is
improving, He is represented as hay.
Ing approa ched the limit OF patience
and believing the time had come now
or never to reach an agreement. As
the situation is represented in Ameri-
can circles decision lies entirely
with Premiers Lloyd George and
Clemenceau. In other words, It Is
their inability 10 get together that Is
at the bottom of the present situation.
Before allowing the George Wash
ington order TO get out the Presiden,
called the entire American delega tior
10 his bedside Yesterday and went
over the whole situation. He Is un-
derstood TO have told them about or
dering the ship. but allowed them e.
draw their own conclusions without
definitely committing himself TO the
plan Of quitting the conference m
less matters were settled this week.
now Matters Now stand.
As usual, it appears he is not de-
Sirous of taking even the members OF
his own commission into his conn
dence. However, some of them said
they thought the time had come to
serve notice on the other powers
that America could not and would
not remain indefinitely at the peace
conference.
The new situation here appears tp
he about as follows;
The reparatlon plan. which has
been the chief cause Of disagree
ment, has been agreed upon by
the experts, and the President
though holding it IL matter bs-
tween Premiers Lloyd George and
Clemenceau, is ready to give It his
approval. The draft worked out
by Thomas W. Lamont and his
associates was submitted TO Mr..
Lloyd George this afternoon
Second, the President, having
lost patience by reason or past
experience when formulas were
drawn up only TO be disputed and
upset at the last minute. decided
time had come to intimate in some
significant way that II was up to
the Premiers TO agree on the rep
aration formula on the threat Of
Ia T. lna nj Ia
Third, that naturally the sams
threat would apply to other msk
Iars lika tha Saar Nallax axaA ~