The theocrat. [volume] (Zion City [i.e. Zion], Ill.) 1914-1949, 1919-02-08
PLENIPOTENTIARI AT PEACE CON-
FERENCE WRESTLING WITH
QUESTIONS OF WORLDWIDE
SCOPE

A statement was issued from Paris this week,
by the Associated Press, showing the territorial
and other demands of the various nations repre-
sented at the peace conference. 10 state all
these demands, even in the br1etest form, would
take large portion of The Theocrdt. Their
multiplicity leaves the mind dazed and confused
There are French British, Italian and Japa-
nese demands; Belgian, Serbian, Rounanian,
Czecho- Slovakian, Polish, Greek, Jugo-Slavic,
Chinese Bulgarian, Swiss Danish, Norwegian
and Swedish demands. AS one writer Observes
the American demands are conspicuous for their
absence. He adds:
''We ask for nothing and rest assured we
shall get it. Also be assured, the French and
British will get what they ask. The Japanese
will get most of what they ask. The Italians
will get a good deal of what they ask. Nearly
every nation will get something of what it asks
if Great Britain and France think it wise.
The writer goes OH to say that while America
will not get anything for the reason that she
does not ask for anything, there is danger OF
giving away some of our national rlghts-poss1-
bly, the Monroe doctrine, unless the United States
Senate refuses to stand for this
Up to the present, the peace conference has
been occupied for the most part, with the tor
nation of a league of nations.
Justin MGrath writing from Paris, on Feb
ruary 3, says:
"The embarrassment of President Wilson and
the American peace commission is growing daily
through the increasing demands that the tlo't
St9tes accept responsibility tor
.+er cries Il 3e~Qlaced und ts
tn league of nations
"The position of the Americdf. plenlpotentia-
ries is that they have no mandate from Congress
and the American people to accept such response
bility.
"Some mandate in the Presidents view, was
imperative to make the league of nations vital
and insure the permanent peace of the world
Now it seems that settlements must be reached
upon the basis of at least partial American re-
sponsibility for supervision of some territory.
president Wilson's plan it is understood will
be to have the league of nations plan adopted
without committing America to any special re-
sponsibility But to make that plan completely
successful, the allies and other European people
think we should continue to aid where aid is
necessary So the American plenipotentiaries are
now saying to Congress in effect:
"It is for you to say what part Of the response
bity and burdens the United States ought to
bear, if any"
When the question of the United States assum-
ing responsibility over certain territories came
up in Congress, this week, Senator Hiram John
son, of California, said
81 will not subscribe to this doctrine. I will
not tor one instant COnCede that 1t is the duty OF
the y. S. A. republic to maintain order in a
Tugo-Slav or Czecho-S lav state, in Albania or
Montenegro, in Roumania or Armenia in Syria,
Palestine, Poland Finland, Esthonia, Lavonia,
Courland, Lithuania or Ukrainia. | am opposed
to American boys policing Europe and quelling
riots in every European nations Backyard
Arthur Brisbane commenting upon Senator
Johnson's statement, in the Chicago Herald and
Examiner, said
"At least ninetynine out of one hundred or
binary, every day Americans will thank Hiram
Johnson for this vigorous statement. If certain
gentlemen are not careful they will have Hiram
Johnson on the road to the Republican presi-
dental nomination in 1920 and on the road to
election also The people of the United States
are looking for somebody interested in the
United States, talking for the United States and
representing the United States"
TNO an