The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-04-10
S|MONDS SAYS
PRESIDENT IS
DESERTED AT
CONFERENCE
Lloyd George and Wilson
Have Split, Declares Writer
British Delegation to Sup
port Claims of France.
CRISIS IS PREC|P|TATED
BY FRANK n. sIMoNps.

BY FRANK n. sIMoNDs.
PARIS, April 9.-Off1ciaI announce
ment that President Wilson has sent
for the George Washington, coupled
with the circumstances in which the
announcement was made, serve to add
one more to the almost innumerable
crises of the peace conference. 1t was
recognized by all hands as either a
declaration Of the purpose to go home
because all hopes of solution had van.
ished, or threat to go home unless
there was an immediate change of the
face of things.
President Wilson is Deserted.
Wnen the story of the last two
weeks comes to be written with full
knowledge Of detail, 1t will prove one
OF the most fascinating political sto-
ries of history. Only few facts are
clear, but it is plain that whereas two
weeks ago Lloyd George and Mr.. Will
son were united in forcing unwelcome
terms on the French and in making an
easy peace for Germany, Lloyd George
has been compelled by pressure exert
ed in England to change front, has
changed front with characteristic
speed and cleverness, and Mr.. Wilson
finds himself now deserted at the
peace conference, while Lloyd George
Is busy giving out interviews that
England is standing more closely by
France than ever before-which may
be true-and also that there has been
political agreement on the terms of
peace-which is without single basis
in fact.
Mr.. Wilson's decision to send for
the George Washington precipitates
the final crisis. 1t finds the French
government regretting that the break
seems imminent, but calmly resolved
to make no more surrender of the es-
sential security of France, financial or
military, to Mr.. Wilson, and deter
mined, If necessary, to endure the evil
consequences of Mr.. Wilson's with
drawal rather than yield further.
Change of British Policy.
Mr.. Wilson's friend, Lloyd George,
suddenly has been assailed at home
by tremendous outburst, in the press
and among public men to whom he
owes his success and his strength,
against his desertion Of France and
subservience of the British policy to
the American President; and Lloyd
George Enthusiastically is executing one
more of those famous shifts familiar
in his political history. He has aban-
doned Mr.. Wilson and Mr.. Wilson
knows it. He has prepared the way
to line up with France again, and the
French are not unconscious of it.
It would be difficult to say on exactly
what lines the impending break will
come. No question before the peace
conference has been definitely settled.
A thousand preliminary agreements
have been made and rejected but the
present situation is induced not by a
difference of principles over specific
question, but by the sudden discovery
by Mr.. Wilson and his associates that
the British policy, which abs long
been subordinate to pleasing the
American purpose, has undergone a
revolutionary change and that Mr..
Wilson at one time hnds himself weak
ened with the French and British pub
lies, which hold him responsible for
delays in making peace, and with the
politicians who perceive that their
own countries are unwilling to follow
them in further surrender to Mr.. Will
son.
1t remains possible, as I said weeks
ago, that peace may still be patched
up, but it is much less likely than 1t
was a week ago. AS to the league OF
nations, it has passed out of the COM
putation of those directing affairs,
while hope Of a real settlement has
vanished.
Separate Treaty In Mind.
/ am told by persons of authority
that Mr. Wilson has in his possession
a sketch of a separate treaty with
Germany, a peace treaty to be made
by the United States and Germany
only, which in his final threat provid-
ed his leadership does not prevail fur
ther. / am told with equal authority
by French observers that Mr.. Wilson
has completely lost his influence In
France because of the universal con-
viction that underneath the cover Of
his Utopian projects and without his
knowledge, international finance has
been engaged in a desperate effort to
modify the terms for rehabilitation of
German business by American capital.
This more than anything else explains
the unmistakeable collapse of the Will
son legend in France.
We are, then, within two steps Of
complete shipwreck of the conference
of peace. The understanding between
the English and Americans was the
foundation Of the formulation of the
league of nations covenant. President
Wilson's idea, translated into phrase
by the British representatives, was a
desire for the combination between the
United States and Great Britain.
More and more this policy led Great
Britain into conflict with France, more
and more it created the conviction,
both in France and England, that the
British were deserting their French
friends. So strong did this conviction
become to England that within ten
days there has been a positive revolu-
ton in the British press and in Brit
ish public expression. Before this
storm, Mr.. Lloyd George has bowed.
Ten days ago he was threatening
French journals with the removal of
the conference from Paris II they con-
tinued their criticism; now he is hav-
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