Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-04-12
Publicity and Speed
New York Evening Post.

Two main grievances are now being tormu-
lated against the peace conference. On the one
hand the conference is wasting time while the
world is ablaze. On the other hand, the con-
ference is resolving itself into star chamber
It was bad enough when a matchmaking Of
70 delegates turned into Council OF Ten, gath.
cred in NJ. Pichon's private Offices on the Quai
D'Orsay. Today the conference has become a
big four doing business in Mr.. Wilson's private
apartment or in the seclusionCof the Hotel
beginning that the conference would fashion
itself into an instrument of secret diplomacy
for the purpose of putting over" something
on mankind are now confirmed in their horrid
suspicious. The difficulty is that from this very
source come most of the complaints about de-
lay in shaping the peace OF which Europe stands
so badly in need. No one as yet has formulated
the method by which the representatives OF two
hemispheres and two dozen nations may express
to the public stenographers all that is in their
minds and hearts and do it in the space OF "a
hours, more or less.
A breakdown Of publicity with respect to the
conference would mean an outside world left
in ignorance of the aims pursued by the as
sembled diplomats, their specific demands, and
their methods 1t can not be truly said that
with regard either to aims or demands at Paris
the world has been left in the dark. On the
question of Russia we have known from the be-
ginning that there is a clash between America
and Great Britain, standing for cancellation of
the soviet, and France holding out for drastic
action, with Italy indifferent. On the question
Of reparations and indemnity we have known
the issue to be between what Germany owes
and what Germany can pay. and in general
way the alignment OF powers on either side. In
the matter of territorial claims we have had
just the opposite of secret diplomacy: instead
of concealing their desires the interested par
tie: have been at pain, to bring their maximum
be nearer to the ideal of open diplomacy than
ference unless she got Fiume. This may be
wicked, but it is not secret. What the French
would like to have on the Rhine, what the
Slavs would like on the Adriatc, what Clemen-
ceau thinks of the league of nations, what Mr..
Hughes Of Australia thinks of Japan is far from
being secret. AS matter of fact. when the
diplomats are not accused of secret practices,
they are accused Of uttering brutal imperialistc
demands in cynical disregard of the opinion OF
mankind.
The progress of the covenant Of the league
has been in the full light OF humanity attainable
publicity 1t has been built out of material
gathered in the open; it is based on ideas de-.
veloped by Lord Robert Cecil and General
land; TO some extent on the French plan Of
Leon Bourgeois; to some extent on the work in
this country. No service was rendered Mr..
Wilson at the time Of the publication Of the
covenant when 1t was intlmated that the draft
must stand without change in jot or little; then,
indeed, there would have been excuse for the
charge of secrecy. Actually, storm OF pub
city has been breaking over the document,
and the results are to be embodied in the final
draft. It is true that we do not know what have
been all the arguments exchanged in the
privacy of the commission meetings at the Hotel
Crillon; just what have been the French fears
about the league, what the exact Japanese reser-
vatons, what the inducements offered to the
league opponents, what the possible threats ut
tered by such opponents, what the whole
process of give and take. Only that such a
conception Of open diplomacy is an unattanable
ideal.
The ideal 10 unattainable because in every
discussion there are legitimate arguments which
cannot be spoken in public without peril or
without frustrating just purpose. We may
imagine Clemenceau backing up his demands for
large indemnities with statement of Frances
unhappy economic condition; but it may not be
desirable to reveal the true condition of France
either to its own people or to its late enemies.
We may imagine Sonnino arguing from the
threat of revolution in Italy; but no govern
ment will invite revolution by holding out the
George citing his labor difficulties at home, but
it is futile to think of statesman announcing
to the public, IF don't get the Russian policy
want am done for"
The danger of secret diplomacy is secret
aims. The peril to the world is in secret
treaties that remain secret, though that peril,
too, is minimized by the fact that secret treaties
when exposed have a way of turning out very
much what was suspected. As much publicity
for diplomatic proceedings as is practicable, by
all means.