The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-06-21

of Nations, and they felt they were
being abandoned by their British
friends. whereas in the main they
were the victims of their own logic.
French Antagonistie.
At certain moment, this situation
was acute for the French saw the
acquiring all the German colonies, the
German fleets, Turkish provinces,
while their far more modest demands
such as the claim upon the Saar coal
basin were denied by Mr.. Wilson, and
their Syrian aspirations, at least as
legitimate as British pretensions in
Mesopotamia. violently opposed by
American and British statesmen. This
was the situation In the first stage OF
the peace conference. In this period
Mr.. Wilson, with British help. framed
the covenant of the League of Nations.
with British aid excluded French
amendments designed to give France
security, and Japanese changes draft
ed to remove the stigma of race In
feriority. Then Mr.. Wilson returned
to the United States. So far the
League of Nations had been the cen
ter of European as well as American
discussion, but at this precise mo-
ment the whole situation changed.
With the Presidents departure, the
peace conference turned from the
League of Nations to the material
problems, territorial and economic
And at this point British policy neces-
sarily changed. For Britain, like
France and Italy. had material inter
ests involved. Like France and Italy
she had economic and financial claims
Moreover, she had secret treaties
alike with France, Japan and Italy
which bound her to support her al
lies claims and even when these
claims eonhictew with the Fourteen
Points and insured the impossibility OF
making peace of Cancellation.
AS consequence. when Mr.. Wilson
returned he found himself in the
presence Of Europe. Europe had Civ
en- him his League of Nations; it was
prepared to give him such amend
ments as the political situation in
American demanded; but in return il
now asked of him his assent to the
material and practical conditions
which had taken shape in his absence
Above all, they demanded that he
should subscribe to the European ides
of German responsibility on the finan
cial side and to the provisions made
in the secret treaties.
Wilson Faces Crisis.
But these European demands, legiti
mate, justified approval, since If they
were not satisfied France was ruined
Britain gravely wounded, Italy lef1
with her own nationalities unsatis
fed and abolished, all hope of peace
of Cancellation. Germany, after these
terms had been imposed, was bound tt
be crippled, sullen, resentful. She
was bound to plan new wars and har
Dor all old resentments. While the
Jugo Slays, the Greeks and the Chi
nese were equally certain to resist the
decisions of the peace conference.
In this situation, Mr.. Wilson had tt
choose; he might retire from the
peace conference, he might retire from
the peace conference, he might re
main rigidly faithful to his Fourteen
Points and his dream of peace O.
Cancellation. But retirement mean
in addition political difficulties a
home which require no emphasis
That he debated doing this-his sud
den call for the George Washington
clearly indicates. That he found tn,
| threat of going was alone unavailable