The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-02-22
PRESIDENT WILL
FALL OR STAND
WITH BIG LEAGUE
Departure OF Wilson Enables SimOnds to
Digest Possible Shortcomings and
Also Success of Leader.

a feeling that her great allies, without
whose aid nothing was possible, had
turned their attention in another di-
rection.
Huns Regain Grip.
In the meantime. a~ceentuating this
French sentiment, there arose the i'm
Pressiye spectacle Of Germany recorder
ing her affairs, ~reorganizing her re-
sources, daily becoming more defiant in
the presence of her conquerors, and
alike in Austria and in Poland pursuing
her old materialistic ambitions in her
argued over questions and mandatories
In Asia Minor, or Central Africa, Ger
man armies advanced into Posen, Ger
man agents seized upon Austrian poIlt-
lcal machinery. to bring about the an
nexation OF 1000, 900 Austrians to Ger
many, and once more on all German
sides there was raised the question of
Alsace- Lorraine.
In sum particularly In France there
had been expectation that Mr.. Wilson,
lenged. whose power far surpassed that
OF any other person, would expect this
power not simply and exclusively to
construction Of that great experiment
which Is the league Of nations, but at
the same time to render Germany alike
powerless to repeat her past crimes and
to resist payment for those crimes,
which was essential to the future life Of
France.
one may not say to what extent cir
cumstanoes were responsible, rather
than design. In the case OF the policy
pursued by Mr.. Wilson in France. Ger
tainly his policy would from the outset
have been impossible had he not re-
Geived from Britain immediate support.
Like Mr.. Wilson, the British representa-
tives at Paris were willing to concern
trate their attention first upon the
league Of nationsi like him they con-
sented to the practical ignoring OF Ger
mar facts which no F~renchman could
Ignoring Of the problem OF making peace
with Germany, ms contrasted with the
information Of the league of nations, Is
at least as much British as American,
Yet we have to face the fact that be-
cause Mr.. Wilson came to Europet not
merely o.. primarily, but almost ekclu-
sively interested In the league Of
nations, because he had neither time
nor apparently the necessary interest
to. 20 to the ravaged areas, because In
all this course he was supported BY the
British in Paris, there developed not
only coldness toward the president in
France, but a clear division In the peace
conference itself.
| have said In my first dispatch to
America that President Wilson'S coming
had a great and abiding value in that
/ stirred ideallsm all over Europe, and
In addition, particularly In the case OF
Ensland, was 2 positive and perhaps
lean friendship, This I think remains
true, but It remains true with many
notifications and qualifications since
the time when l wrote 1t,
Since then we have framed the league
Of nations which may or may not make
future war impossible. and a repetition
OF the suffering Of the last four and 3
half years out sot the question. But
while we have been framing that league
Of nations, Germany has risen from
defeat, defiant and determined, and, as
a preliminary TO the discussion of thai
! league OF nations, we allied powers o.
, the west have abdicated in Russia
w sSSst | the :" former rns 'H Roman sS as ssatt
shall hereafter be Bolshevik or boche.
Poland Handicapped.
! At the same time failure TO take def;
Poland, which must. after all be one o.
the cornerstones Of new Europe ant
sheviks, Kkranians and Germans, Z
! become Involved In a tragic dispute
/ with the Csecho-S lovaks, Poland ha!
d been neglected and the task of tn
/. creation of a Polish state, whose valu,
!, TO future. peace Is so great, has beef
4 made difficult In the extreme. We hav'
. sent food TO Germany, fearful Of Ger
man B~olshevists, but we have permittet
starvation In Bohemia and anarchy u
a Poland,
= All tho many problems that c~onfron
J the peace conference OH the materia
" and political sides remain TO De mel
h The frontiers OF Poland are not eve
Professionally defined. Poland and DO
. hemia are at odds IN Stlesia, Rrmani
q and Serbia in Banat, the old questlo
between the southern Slavs and th
= Italians Is embittered as delay follow
delay, Syria has been permitted I
become a real wedge between BIRTHS
a and French opinion,
@ The German has followed the cours
of the Paris conference and change
" his tone from a whine to a threat |
: Hess than three months after Hinder
l. burg had recommended an uncendI
lie tlonal surrender as the sole avenue
,r escape from supreme disaster.
l. II will be unfair and unjust to no
IL President Wilson exclusively or mainl
10 responsible for what mas happened. II
10 could. had he chosen, have brouRl
re the world to impose a Just but leve
Of ing peace upon Germany; he eoul
' had he chosen, have procured pr
ID yislopA accommodations in casa Of Il