The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1919-04-17
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lican Publicity Association through
lis President. Hon. Jonathan Bourne,
Jr.. today gave out the following
statements from It's Washington Head
quartsl
I'm view Of the necessity for find
ing scapcgoat upon whom TO unload
the blame for the unending delay IN
the peace conference. hints are &C.
ginning to appear in the press, indus
triously circulated by adherents Of Mr..
Wilson,that there is growing change
in the sentiment of Americans toward
France. To turn attention from Will
son and his league.as the cause Of de-
lay, the inference is allowed 10 be
drawn that il has been the demand of
the French for adequate reparation
from Germany, for an international
force TO protect her from further ag-
gression from the Huns, for certain
concessions in the Saar Valley, and
for other advantages that have pre-
vented the consummation Of the peace
treaty. 1t is apparent that cunning
attempt is on foot TO arouse the Am
erican public against the French---to
cause them to abandon their tradi-
tional friendship for the French peo-
pie, and to charge the latter with re-
sponsibiity for delays at Paris,
"But the effort to throw smoke
screen in front of the persistently
blocking tactics Of Wilson'at the con-
ference, at the expense of the French,
will not meet with success in this
country. The American people are not
going to forget that had it not beenfor
French assistance in our Revolution
airy War that contest would in all
probability have been lost, and we
would today be under the yoke of
England.
But it is not only grateful appre-
citation for former assistance that
holds our friendship for the French.
A nation that could fight the first
battle Of the Marine, and after prep
aration of hardly month prevent the
capture Of its capital by an army that
had been making ready for years; that
could make the stand at Verdun that
stopped the highest efforts of the
Germans in 1916; and that could pro-
duce general who, in six months af-
ter he was given supreme command,
put the Germans utterly to rout, has
earned the undying admiration and af-
lection of America and the world, and
is not going to be deserted in the pre-
sent crisis by her friends of century.
Neither have the French anything
but the best of feeling for US. They
can never forget what the Americans
did for them at Chateau Thierry, and
at other points of their hard pressed
line. After the President arrived in
France, and before the French peo-
pie realized that he not only did not
represent American sentiment, but
had been specifically repudiated by
American votes, they were inclined to
interpret what he said and did as in
dicating the American thought in gen.
eral They have since been disillu
stoned. NJ. lie Charter, prominent
journalist in Paris, speaks of the feel
ing among his people as follows:
1T must not be forgotten that
President Wilson is not as strong with
French opinion as he used to be. | am
revealing no secrets perhaps when |
say that Frenchmen generally resent
ed the fact that he gave audience in,
the first few days of his visit to
France to NJ. Longuet, a grandson Of
Karl Marx, and to M. Renaudel, an
other prominent socialist. | consider
them bolshevists.
" Then, too, Mr.. Wilson did not
show any eagerness to visit the bat
tleiields or devastated regions of
France. Many Of our people could
not see how the President could ap-
preciate or understand our proposals
until he saw the real plight of France.
1t is true he has since gone to see the
battle areas, but the first impression
in France at Mr.. Wilson's failure to
go to the devastated towns and viii
Iagts before he went to other parts of
Europe was one of keen disappoint-
ment. With sentimental people,
this roint cannot be overestimated.
Another thing to which | attrib-
ate much Importance is the campaign
waged by the Echo de Paris, one of
our more widely read newspapers.
In that newspaper prominence was
given to the speeches of
in the United States and
o the Republican viewpoint.
The argument that Mr. Wilson
lid not represent America, but only
himself and his party, which had been
,eaten in the last elections, impress