Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-11-29


the Peace Conference aud cdbled daily
reports of The deliberations Of the
representatives. of the Allied nations.
He returned 10 the United States
frith President Wilson. Since then he
has been in intimate touch with the
progress Of the struggle in Washing
ton orer ratification Of the treaty.
THIS article is confessional. I seek to
justify the faith that is in me re-
garding the league of nations. To do
so may help some others who are also
troubled with the common doubts. !
accept that league with reservations"
of my own. perhaps not merely
''interpretative reservations" but
'amendatory reservations, for | am
not sure that, il you will have the pa
thence to follow me. shall not be
found to have struck out figuratiye
article Y and placed my faith not III
the league itself at all. but in some
thing that will use the lcague-thc ppo-
pie, God. the power not ourselves that
makes things muddle along which
Matthew Arnold saw in his elegant
classical way.
] begin my confession in Paris. in the
press room at Place do la Concorde.
where homesick men daily met aud re-
solved that whatever the world might
henceforth be forced to endure it should
never suffer from another Peace Con
ference-not even if there had to be
league Of nations to prevent it VIII
liam Allen White was there. He was
looking depressed 1t takes n great
deal to make William Allen look de
pressed, but it was the month of May.
perhaps, and men had seen the worst.
Their souls had been tried by six
months of peace comforting. ! was
feeling depressed and doubtless looking
so; for | look depressed much more
easily than does William Allen. He
tried to avoid me. but unsuccessfully
I am bigger and quicker than he
"William Allen" I said-it was not
necessary to enter into explanations. At
Paris you always merely resumed
fraVilliam Allen. do you?' 81 still
do.,"s he replied weakly. "At least, "
he. added. 81 think l do"
81 do not :" l retorted, for mo-
nent almost with note of triumph At
thinking that had reached point in
conviction one stage in advance OF his.
81 am through -
He did not reply.
"William Allen" | pursued. 'bc
honest. shall. l shall set you an
example. I have fallen for every BIT
of bunk there has been in the world
since was old enough for people TO
think II worth while to offer bunk
TO me"
$50 have l." he said more cheerfully.
II can't get OH without it. ! don't even
pretend to myself that ! can swear of
and that | only take bunk now and
then, for company's sake, and can stop
ttyhaneVpr | want to. | can [.
'I fell" continued rclentlessly.
''for direct primaries and wrote power
full articles to prove how much better
the world would be when the people
ruled the elections. William Allen, they
don't rule the elections. The old gang
rules the elections. 1t is the same old
thing
"Fell'' for Direct Elections i
II know, I know he said. 1T was
disappointing. But it is not quite MS
you say. Now in Kansas
"William Allen" ] cut him off, Il
fell for the direct election of senator's,
to improve the Senate. And now for
Judgment upon me have to spend my
life in Washington, much of the time
In the Senate press gallery.
He opened his mouth as If to say
something.
''There was your man, Thompson, the
pride and JOY of the direct elector of
Kansas" / went on severely.
sI know" he said, and like the
carpenter he shed bitter tear.
"I fell for Charles Evans Hughes of
hirsute idealism, when he was governor
Of New York and l wrote many power
full articles to prove that he could save
the world"
william Allen stirred as if in de-
Tense, but ! drowned out his words,
ssand finally" l continued, 81 fell for |
Woodrow Wilson, and hardest of all,
fell for his league Of nations. And now |
I am through Never again -
Just at that moment brilliant Amer
lean journalist entered the room, vii !
Ham Allen Whites eyes rested upon him !
a moment and he turned to me smil-
ing; n u, .,.,u ,.,,,,
for anything in his whole life His mind |
never stoops 10 folly. He sees clean
through every bit of bunk there is. |
He's never known the joy of being
fooled. He can't. No. ! am not |
through. / am going right on and !
know it, Bunk springs eternal in the
human breast. 1t is falling for bunk
that keeps me young. ! know this
league of nations looks bad from here
and right now. But then you can't tell
Wu6L Tue PcOpAC w Mlth = toh
see how they may yet fool the fellers
who have fooled us with it, And you,
yoi are not through. A man who has
fallen for bunk so long as you have
cant stop now. It's habit. It's his |
nature. And ! wouldn't change mine"
he went on with a glance at the bril-
liant Journalist who never suffered from |
Illusions, with the clear eyed man who |
always knows to certainty that the
future viii be no better than the past"
I hope It Is not an indiscretion for
me 10 record this conversation. At any
rate did not make stenographic notes |
81 Il and retail II to the Senate foreign
relations COMMITTEES. And IL William
Allen White wants to disavow it his
word is as good as mine, and probably
better.
Deeds OF Woodrow Wilson
Al this point William Allen White
disappears from the story, TO its dis
advantage, and II becomes a plain con
iession o. faith, simple, record of my |
own experience with the thing we called |
'lbnnk1 but which we never even in !
paris eAti1ly believed TO be bunk,