The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-06-21
BY FRANK Il. sIMoNps


Copyright. 1919. by The Mcclure News
paper Syndicate3
The proverbial visitor from Mars
would not find himself more perplexed
or confused than the American return
Ing home to his own country after six
months spent in the atmosphere of
Europe and in immediate contact with
the facts Of the peace conference. At
home mighty controversy is plainly
raging over the provisional settle
ments and permanent unsettlements
Of the Paris conference. So far the
situation is identical with that In the
French capital, but while in France the
argument centers about one set of cir
cumstances, in America the things de-
bated are totally different. In word,
the peace discussion In the two hemis-
pheres is about wholly dissimilar ques-
lions carried on in an utterly dissimi-
lar fashion.
And at the outset of any examina-
tion of this difference it is essential to
note the primary fact IN the United
States debate still centers about the
League Of Nations; In Europe-out-
side the circle of Americans closely
associated with the president the
league of nations has ceased to occu-
by attention, provoke discussion-to
put it quite bluntly, 1t has ceased to
exist. Instead, the thing considered
is the future association OF France,
Great Britain and the United States,
in an alliance which will perpetuate
the present association in Paris and
preserve world order and peace.
There is another fact that is equal
~ necessary to emphasize and that
is that there never was save for one
brief emotional moment coinciding
with the presidents arrival in Europe
on his first trip, any real belief in the
League Of Nations in Europe. During
that moment masses of people sudden
ly relieved from the immediate agon-
les of the conflict. still broken with
their suffering, looked to the president
as man from another world come to
perform miracles, transform empires,
abolish age-long rivalries. In the re-
action from the horror OF the war men
and women turned with d strange
moving of utterly transitory faith to
the president of the United States.
Conflict from First.
But this moment passed almost IN
stantly If the British, French and
Italian people were for a moment
transported out of themselves, they
quite as suddenly returned to their
normal condition If the British people
desired permanent peace they did not
in the least subscribe to the idea that
they themselves and not the Germans
should pay for the war, for the wan
ton destruction on land and sea. The
English people were not willing that
the Germans should re-establish them
selves in their old colonies along the
British waterways-that German ships
should replace British ships sunk by
submarines.
AS for the French people, they knew
that the sole hope Of French solvency
lay in compelling the Germans to re-
pay for devastation and they first de-
manded that military protection
should be gained with victory. Italy,
in the same fashion, resolved to build
her future along the Adriatic. Europe
was from the outset resolved upon an
European settlement. Only America.
with small losses set off by enormous
economic gains, would ever think of a
peace of Cancellation.
And so from the very outset an
American and an European idea were
in conflict President Wilson came
to Europe to promote peace of con-
Citation, based upon his Fourteen
Points, and to be perpetuated by his
League of Nations, which was to make
war impossible in the future. Europe
the Allies-were equally resolved up
on a peace which should so far as
it was humanity possible repair their
losses and heal their gaping wounds.
1icfi YSf
was possible, alike in view of our his
tory and our contemporary condition,
for Europe it was impossible alike be.
cause of traditions and immediate cir.
cumstances.
But given the essential facts, the
diplomacy of the great powers. Britain
France and Italy. dealt with the Amer
can proposal in totally different fash.
ions, particularly at the outset. The
British on their part, with supreme
good sense. elected not to oppose Mr.
Wilson, but to associate themselves
with a proposal recognized by most
of them to be decidedly impractical
and gain thereby the incalculable ad
vantage of new and closer friendship
with the United States. The French
honestly but moderately. proclaimed
their lack OF ld1lu III the HlloO14l11
Doctrine, while the Italians stood
cody aside, insisting at all times upor
such national benefits as they hae
material claims upon.
Harmony With British.
The result was inevitable. In ths
briefest time the British and Ameri
can representatives in Paris were
working in closest harmony. Cecil
SHUTS and half a dozen other British
and Colonial representatives were
framing the covenant of the League
of Nation. while between the French
and American representatives there
was in existence and between the ltal
ian and American representative:
there was growing up an estrange
ment. which shortly endangered tbs
peace of the world.
Now in all this situation which re
suited in the greatest diplomatic tri
umph in all British history, it is yer.
hard to separate accident from de
sign. | do not believe it is true as i
frequently urged that the British IN
dertook to receive or manipulate tn
President and the American repre-
sentatives. They did not believe Il
the league of nation any more thai
the French, but they saw, what TIL
hot fYio 1f