The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-20
The Peace Conference at the White
House Yesterday.

Inc fc8Ce Y OnIcEenCc NJ I'M V"sO
House Yesterday.
Mr.. WILSON'S preliminary remarks
yesterday to the visiting Senators
were characterized by good humor,
by an apparent desire to conciliate
rather than demand or threaten, and
by an almost painfully elaborate eff
fort to persuade the judges of his in
]. terwoven fabric that the covenant
was already in it's present form ex-
actly that which they, in the interests
lof healthy American natlonalism,
would have made it if they and not
he had had the making. The Presi-
dents talents as an opportunist and
a fluid advocate shone conspicuously
ION the occasion.
:, Most people of more or less sincere
, habits of mind will be profoundly
grateful to President WILSON for
abandoning utterly his recent plea
that the treaty must be ratified be-
cause rejection of his League cove
nant would break the heart of the
world. That argument for accepting
his personal decisions and individu-
ally negotiated plans for world re-
form was so little respectable as TO
be ridiculous. He must have per
ceived this since the amazing PROPOSE
ton was uttered. Evidence has been
multiplying in most important quar-
tiers that the world cares mighty little
about Mr.. WILSON'S voices in the air
and visions ON the horizon except as
collateral for purely selfish national
acquisitions in the great process OF
barter. What Premier CLEMENCEAU
and the French people think of the
Wilson League is sufficiently obvious
to the discerning. The British legis-
lators broke into laughter when
LLOYD GEORGE mentioned the proposed
organization to the House of Com.
mons. Italy's sentiments on the sub
ject, like Japan's, require no inter
probation. All over the world the
tongue is in the cheek when the Amer
lean Presidents prepossessions on the
subject come under discussion.
This general Indifference as to the
health of the League project has moi
escaped the attention of even so de
voted a consumer of voices and Wis
ions as WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE
Writing in the Saturday Evening Posi-
Mr.. WHITE boldly compares the Presi
dent to CHRIST, in that "the common
people heard him gladly" (as Mr.
WHITE alleges, while Governments
and leaders of public opinion scornet
his dangerous doctrines and revolu
tionary ideals. For example, quoting
Mr.. WHITE:
Europe could hardly keep its face
straight NJ. CLEMENcEAU chortled
In his giee. GoD.' said CLEMENCEAU,
gave us His Ten Commandments
and we broke them. WILSON gave
see And again My friend Presi-
dent WILSON is man of noble can
deur'-noble candeur meaning stupid
simplicity"
Mr.. WILLIAM ALLEN WHITES ties
timony from close observe ion of Ital
ian sentiment:
THE Italians gave the signal for
a demonstration to the President al
most bacchanalian in its fervor. And
winking a merry eye at him pointed
TO Flume But President WILSON ig-
nored these covert affronts, IL he saw
them, and went about telling his gor-
geous fairy story about the goodness
of men and the powers Of GOD"
The real value of Mr.. WHITES com
mentaries, however, consists in hi
clear II naTvely unconscious recogni
ton of what 1t was that enabled MI
WILSON, as a practical trader in in
ternational commodities, to bring th,
rest Of the Big Four TO an actual /
sardonic acceptance of his voices ant
visions:
He had something else in his kit
and accoutrement something which
gave him great power. The
President with his amiable speeches
and his noble aspirations had in his
portfolio the promlssory note OF the
Allies for eight or ten billions OF dol
lars. And he had the surplus food
needed to feed a starving world, All
OF which made the spectacle more
curious and interesting OF this elderly
professor with his gentle inevitable.
grin roaming through the forums of
Europe disguised as a philosopher.
but in effect half green grocer and