The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1919-06-03
NOT A WILSON PEACE

NOT A WILSON PEACE
The unexpected rigor of the judy
ments recorded against Germany involv-
ed, necessarily, another striking feature.
This was the almost total lack OF evidence
that President Wilson had had anything
to do with framing the articles beyond
Section 1, covering the league of nations.
The world was prepared for, if not re-
signed to, settlement fulfilling the long
chorused predictions of peace dictated
by the author of the fourteen points and
their supplementary principles, partic
ulars and prerequisites. Instead there
was disclosed document such as might
have been written, and undoubtedly
would have been written, had the presi
dent remained in Washington. Except
ing only the provisions affected by the
league of nations there is not decision
of major import attributable to his spec
tacular intervention, not one article or
paragraph that bears the exclusive inn
print of his will, which had been repre-
scented as the dominating factor in the ne
gotiations. u rAe ~ "a
Now, this, in view of the news that has
come from abroad and the partisan writ
ings of the administration press here, is
a very remarkable fact. Ever since the
president departed on his mission last
December the chief theme of wondering
writers has been his commanding influ-
ence over the nations and their leaders.
He was pictured as benevolent dictator
whose wisdom and vision had captivated
Europe; whose words made peoples for
get their traditions and desires; whose
lifted finger could be the signal for the
overturning of thrones and governments.
He was represented as the inspired cham
pion of justice and idealism against fore
es of allied intrigue, ambition and capa-
city. But for his intrepid idealism
the world was daily informed in moving
accents, the lofty purposes of the war
would be swept away in the currents OF
national passion and greed; unless Will
son peace was made, militarism would tri-
umph and all the sacrifices of the strug-
gle would be vain.
Yet when the treaty was revealed and
found to bear hardly a trace OF his handi-
work, the very voices that has acclaimed
his dictatorship welcomed it gravely as
"a product of stern but required justice
The newspaper which for five months
had celebrated the intervention of Mr.
Wilson as the one safeguard of mankind
against "peace of imperialism and loot
discussed the treaty with solemn approx
al and without mentioning his name
They found the terms moderate, ever
lenient, marked by cold, passionless jus
tice, leaving no ranking wounds.
And these terms, it is to be observed
are in Virtually every detail those which
Were laid down by the Allies two years
ago in answer to President Wilson's de
mand for "peace without victory" they
are the identical terms which the admin
istration organs constantly denounced al
grossly imperialistic and hostile to tn,
spirit of the age, terms which the presi
dent had to go to Europe to combat, a
the spokesman for higher ideals of inter
national right and human liberty.
The one clear avowal of his own con
ception of the right settlement he mad
lust before this country entered the con
flict
1t must be peace without vic
tory. Victory would mean peace
forced upon the loser, victor's
terms imposed upon the vanquish-
ed. Only peace between equals
can last; only peace the very
principle of which is equality and
q common participation in COM
mon benefit.
1t is not, then, Wilson peace that is