The Washington herald., 1919-05-11
Visions Surrender on Sea Freedom
: Won Great Britain to Our Support
Upon Other Issues at Conference

years appears to me q formula con-
cocted to save Wilson's face and
cover over the abandonment of one
OF the fourteen points.
4. He failed-as did all his coll
leagues separately and collectively
Ito bring about a working agree
ment between the various new and
old nations in central and eastern
Europe for the free passage OF
food and raw materials.
! The sad conditions of starvation
and misery still existing through
out half Europe resulted from
tealousies and old hatreds across
the frontiers that the President
was unable to assuage. though he
tried hard and with some limited
and local successes.
| There are other questions, such
as the indemnity problem, upon
which it is impossible at present
TO fairly essay President Wilson's
influence.
Those 1 have named are those
concerning which sufficient is
known TO make such an estimate
as has been given. The amount of
/ reparation to be made by Germany
is' believe, very much what Will
son proposed.
Tire other powers scaled down
tnslr demands enormously. not be-
ca"7e of love for Germany. but he
cause convinced that the ener,,
could not pay more without na,
tional bankruptcy that would have
where
wilson's success in making neac.
IQ
ne took UP toward the Rri,ish
statesmen whom he met in London
on December 81.
me Peace is an Anglo-Americar
peace in its essentials, and n ne.
/ on december 27 that the President
10 MS support the country
mnIch OF all those among the aIIies
was until that date the most -
Iveo Sa,; IN approval of the Wilson
Accept II Points.
AFTER the armistice. EngIisbmsr
IeaIized that the allies in form bad
cp'eo the fourteen points as n
casls OF peace. But Britain at the
supreme war Council in October
nau insisted that her assent to Tho
"hson basis Of peace excepted his
Following the armistice. secretarv
Danieis and certain American news
papers raised the sea issue. and
tneIr utterances were followed in
england with a strained attention
/ .hat could not have been understood
III TINS country at the time.
inc BRITISH press was unfortu-
ndtely muzzled on the subject or
americans would have taken alarm
carrier and moderated their Ian
| guage.
Secretary Daniels by statements
that were construed in England as
threat that IL Britain did not vol
unfairly draw her navy's teeth
america would challenge her sea
| mystery brought about a strained
situation that lasted several weeks,
The foes of American peace ideals
on the continent lost no time in ex-
pioltlhS England's alarm, and while
the PRESIDENT was preparing TO
| cross the ocean there was an inn
portant conference in Downing
street between the leading states
men OF Britain. France and Italy.
and Marshal Foch.
| GOSSIP at the time in London
7 iorawlng-rooms referred to this
meeting as the Continental AIli-
ahce against Wilson. The truth
was That the allied chieftains did
not know what was in Wilson's
mlnd. and they were badly scared.
brltaln was still more upset a few
Gays later by wireless messages
! from the George Washington to the
! effect that the President was on his
way to literally fight for the four
teen points. by statements from the
same source that the freedom of
the seas" was a cardinal point in
MS policies. and by what were re-
garded in London as the wantonly
provocative speeches of Daniels.
France. too. feared that the ex-
aggerated idealism attributed by
pacifists and Socialists to Wilson
meant that the President would seek
to deprive her of security, while
Italy correctly interpreted the con-
fiict between the fourteen points and
her aims in the Adriatic.
Continental Alliance.
Accordingly the phrase Continental
Alliance" was not far wide of the
mark.
So in the middle of December the
diplomatic situation looked dark for
Wilson and America. Alarmed by
what they thought to be our vague.
impractical and utopian plans. the
European allies had felt compelled to
take. counsel together as to how to
Withstand this mysterious school
teacher who was coming out Of the
West amid storm OF criticism from
his own people.
1t was on Boxing Day. the tradi-
tional British holiday on the morrow
of Christmas. that the President came
to London. Those who knew the feel
ing existing in England were on tip
toe with anxiety and apprehension.
especially as the President made a
bad start.
Misled by those around him who
should have known better, he upset
the entire social life Of the capitaI
among high and low alike by arriv-I
ing on holiday when every English
man. who can, goes out OF town
Most unfortunate visit, SIR" said an
aged valet in my apartment house.
THE King has to remain. sir. He
had planned to go to Sandringham
to shoot his pheasants, SIR" And the
feeling that a state welcome must be
extended to the American President
upset the holiday plans. not only of
the royal family. but of 1000. 900 others
The President came. received his
historic welcome from the crowds,
ani disappeared from public view
within the 0atoS IF d.