Evening journal., 1919-08-21

Mr.. Wilson's preliminary remarks
yesterday 10 the visiting senators were
characterized by good hum0r, by an
apparent desire To conClllate rather
than demand or threaten, and by an
almost painfully elaborate effort 10 per-
suade the Judges Of his interweveS
fabric that the covenant was already
I'm its present form exactly that which
they, IN the interests OF healthy AmerL
can natlonallsm, would have made It n
they and not he had had the making
The Presidents talents as an Oppor-
tunlsl and nuid advocate shone con-
splcuously on the occasion.
Most people Of moro or less sincere
habits OF mind Will bo profoundly
grateful TO President Wilson for
abandoning utterly his recent plea that
the treaty must be ratified because re-
lection Of his League covenant would
break the heart Of The world That
argument for accepting his personal
decisions and individually negotiated
plans for world reform was so little
respectable as TO b0 ridiculous, He
must have perceived this since the
amazing proposition was uttered. Evil
dence has been multiplying In most i'm
pOrtsnt quarters that the world cares
mighty little about Mr.. Wilson's voices
I'm the air and visions on the horizon
except as collateral for purely selfish
national acquisitions I'm the great pro-
cess OF barter. What Premier Clemen-
ceau and the French people thing Of
the Wilson League Is sufficiently
obvious to the discerning. The Brit
ish legislators broke into laughter
when Lloyd George mentioned The pro-
posed organization TO the House OF
Commons. Italy's sentiments on the
subject, like Japan's, require no IN
depreciation. All over the world the
tongue Is in the cheek when the
American Presidents prepOssessions on
the subject come under discussion.
This general Indifference as 10 the
health Of the League project has not
escaped the attention Of even so de-
voted a consumer Of voices and visions
as William Allen White. Writing in
the Saturday Evening Post Mr. White
boldly compares the President 10
Christ. in that the common people
heard him gladly (as Mr.. White al
leges). while Governments and leaders
Of public opinion scorned his danger
Gus doctrines and revolutionary ideals
For example, quoting Mr.. White:
Europe could hardly keep It's
face straight M Clemenceau
chortled I'm his glee. God said
Clcmenceau. gave MS His Ten Com
mandmenls and we broke them.
Wilson gave MS his Fourteen Points
we shall see And again: My
friend President Wilson is man
Of noble candeur-noble candeur
meaning stupid simplicity
Mr.. William Allen Whites testimony
from close observation Of Italian sen
timent
"The Italians gave the signal for
a demonstration 10 the President
almost bacchanalian In It's fervor.
And winking a merry eye at him
pointed 90 Fiume, But President
Wilson ignored these covert af-
fronts. II he saw them, and went
about telling his gorgeous fairy
story about the goodness Of men
and the powers OF Cod
The real value OF Mr. Whites COM
mentaries. however, consists in his
clear IN naively unconscious recogni-
ton Of what it was that enabled Mr..
Wilson. as a practical trader in inter
national commodities. TO bring the rest
Of the Big Four to an actual II sar-
donic acceptance Of his voices and
visions.
"He had something else in HIS kit
and accoutrement something
which gave him great power.
The President with his
amiable speeches and his noble as
pirations had in his portfolio the
promisissory note Of the Allies for
eight or ten billions OF dollars. And
he had the surplus food needed TO
feed a starving world All Of which
made The spectacle more curious
and interesting Of this elderly pro
fcssor with his gentle inevitable
grin roaming through the. forums