New-York tribune., 1919-01-25
French Newspapers Arraiign
Russian ParIey Proposal
Allied Policy Is Regarded as Recognition of Boil
sheviki; Gustav Herve Sarcastic in His Com.
ment; lmpatience With Congress Is Growing

them under any circumstances. NJ. Sa-
zonotf, who, with Prince Lvotf, repre-
sents the Russian committee here, de-
clared last night, according to the
Echo dc Paris" that his friends will
refuse to take part in the proposed
! conference.
lie Petit Journal" suggests that the
merely a preliminary inquiry by the
Allies. "France counts for nothing in
| this disastrous compromise" says Rene
Daral in "Gaulois." "What precious
time we are losing when the danger is
so near!"
Hervc Opposes Plan
That the Prinkepo conference will re-
suit only in loss of time is also the
view of Gustav Herve, who writes in
LA Victoirc":
"The sermons Wilson has addressed
to the different Russian parties are the
/ same he addressed with evangelical pa
tlence to the belligerents in the great
war for two years before deciding to
take part in the quarrel. If Lenne re-
fuses the conciliation offered he will
without scruple the good judge Of in
ternational peace will draw his power
| full \ sword and annihilate the demon
who has refused his olive branch. This
method has the great drawback of pro-
longing the suffering of the patient.
What blood and suffering might have
been saved if Wilson had not waited
nearly three years before taking the
side of the victims in the war against
their eXecutioners!"
Herve suggests thA if Wilson is
asking Lenine and Trotzky to consent
to allow elections in Russia he is ask
lrP them to commit suicide
Another journal finds consolation in
the fact that the Prinkepo conference
will at any rate save Paris from an in
vasion Of Bolsheviki and prevent them
from extending their propaganda here,
while lie Matin" approves the pro-
posal on the ground that on an island
IN the Sea of Marmora the Bolsheviki
will be placed in kind of sanatorium.
Complain Congress Is Slow
Complaints are heard here that at
the present rate Of progress even the
prelimnaries of peace probably will
not be signed before the end of June
date for the signature of the peace
treaty itself is an absolute mystery.
In November it was predicted that
the prcliminarics would be signed in
February, whereas now June is be-
hevcd TO be the earliest date possible
$50 far" complains the royallst jour
nal action Francaisc," "the peace con-
ference has been characterized by con-
fusion and uncertainty very closely
bordering OH the ridiculous, and many
observers are afraid they are beginning
to perceive symptoms of powerlessness.
The so-callcd decisions in regard to Po-
land and Russia have created feeling
Of uneasincss which may soon turn to
real anxiety"
The conference, the same writer de-
clares, talks instead of acting, and
lives in a world of words. AS ex-
amples he points out that the congress
has already inscribed on its orders of
the day a proposal for the trial of the
Kaiser, but has no court to try him.
League Plan Criticised
1t also seeks to create league of
nations withGlt having any army to
carry out it's l'ecisions, says the same
writer, while ihost of the governments
concerned areh eager to demobilizc
their armies aIpi not to maintain per
manent forces Even when practical
and positive questions, like that of
Eastern Europe, come up the congress
finds in them only fresh means for
adding words to words.
"Idealism, ignorance. election poll
tics!" cries Pertinax in the echo de
Paris" are the evil spirits of Quai
d'Orsay. 1t is they who have forbidden
any agreement on rehabilitation, with
out which no collective effort is posi-
bic. What picture all this is for the
league of nations. Words are substi-
tuted for deeds, while the weak and
innocent are being sacrificed to the
strong and criminal.
"lf such is the disposition of the
a,,1bn of Let
us bother any further with these am
bilious projects, but confine ourselves
to imposing on Germany preliminaries
of peace. Are we waiting until our
enemies have become stronger and our
alliance less vigorous before we pro-
cecd with this essential work ?"
Urge Help in Poland
The Paris leaders, in newspaper
opinion, are crying out for Immediate
help to be sent both to Russia and
Poland. Augustc Gauvain, principal
editorial writer OF "l.e Journal dcs
Dcbats," points out that the Allied
commissioners who are being sent to
make the inquiry in Poland can scarce
y be expected back before March, so
that the congress will be unable tc de-
eide what action to take before April.
"Before America entered the war;"
writes Maurice de Waleffe, "President
Wilson appealed to France and England
to agree to arbitration with the Euro
pean ogre, which we then called pan
Germanism and now is called Bolshev-
ism. France and England refused. and
Mr.. Wilson had eventually to recognize,
since he entered the war on their side,
that they were right. Unhappily those
honorable scrupes of his cost us two
years of torture and the lives of mill
ions of men. The lesson was So cruel
that one would have thought it would
have been better understood