Evening journal., 1919-03-01
Desire TO Hedge
IN WORLD Peace
But Extent Of HARMONY IS
Surprise Of Paris
Conference
PESSIMISTS FEAR
SCRAPS ABROAD
BY HAROLD e. pFcHroy


PARIS, France. Mar. ..-The meaues.
problems the American peace mission
has had to meet during President Will
sons FIRST peace trip. have arisen from
one cause:
There has been disposition IN. soma
quarters 20 accept principles and then
try 70 hedge or their application.
The American mission has met this
attitude, whenever IL showed its head
by standing frm. and allowing these
facts TO sink home:
First-That the allied peoples were
behind the principles.
Second-That principles are laid down
70 be applied and that the peoule ex-
pected TO see them applied.
Third-That the American mission
was not joking about the principles OF
settlement but regarded them as seri-
Gus obligations which must be de-
veloped into something more than
words.
Never did the disposition 10 seek
exceptions" to principles, however.
lead to a serious rupture OF the pro-
cedings.
And commissioners regard this as a
pretty good record for a conference
representing so many nations and such
varied interests.
Pessimists point out that on many
questions the conference to date has
merely scratched the surface, sounded
the sentiment and agreed on broad
principles and the broader application
Of them. And that therefore. in view OF
the tendency sometimes to hedge, real
scraps may lie ahead when II comes to
nat proposition Of making each speci-
flc case flt the principle.
Conference delegates, those who
know the most about what has been
going on, are fairly beaming with
optimism, however. They are pleased.
and more than that, they are surprised
at the unanimity that has been turned
up and they say the progress has, In
many cases, been beyond their fondest
expectations.
It becomes more apparent every day
that President Wilson's tour in Europe
before the opening of the peace con-
ference was invaluable to his program.
The reception given Wilson by the
people OF the European nations was re-
garded not only by him, but by the
European statesmen as meaning sin
cere hope for a Wilsonian peace, rather
than a personal tribute.
And this knowledge has undoubtedly
smoothed the path for making a peace
along the lines President Wilson has
laid down. ..
French papers, which have comment
ed on the tendency to seek "excep-
tions" occasionally, say that the Euro
pean statesmen knew the sentiment Of
Europe so well that they were afraid
not 70" agree TO principles for which
Wilson stood pat.
Il Is no secret that there were times
when the Americans were somewhat
fed up" with the attitude OF certain
statesmen.
On one occasion, when the question
Of armament and enforcement Of
League OF Nations decisions were under
discussion, a violent war scare was
turned loose in France. Everybody was
sure Germany was about 10 "come
back" with an awful blow that would
lay France low. and stagger the world.
Marshal Foch was quoted as seeing
the menace" but this quotation was
later retracted by the paper that made
it. FoCh Is mighty insistent on a
strong defensive arrangement to pro
tect France in years 10 come, but as
for being afraid the Germans would
suddenly turn around and lick him.
after being deprived OF their fleet and
submarines and a lot OF arms and stra-
tegic points, largely under his own d.
rectiOn, IL was a little too much.
One rumor was that an Allied com
mission in Germany had discovered the
Germans frantically manufacturing
hundreds Of new submarines for the
renewed war that was about TO break.
An American paper published in Paris
came out about that time with a lead
story cut out by the censor, all but
few lines. That imprinted" story (cir-
culated in America, / am told, said in
effect that the Americans and British
were so sick Of the propaganda that
was floating around France that there
was talk OF moving the peace confer
ence TO another city.
II may seem hard in America 10
how such a story would
gain a foothOld. But France has been
for 40 years living under a real war
menace, has been the victim OF scores
OF war scares, and the war, just over,
finally came.
It is doubtful whether there ever
was any serious talk about moving
the conference. But there was gossip
about it, and gradually and quickly the
war scare died and some Of the so
called propaganda died.
The other delegates realize that
France has been living under the
shadow Of the war which has left her
bleeding, for years, and they sym
pathize with the French desire for alb ]