Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-02-11
Exerts Veto Power, But
Has No Plan for
a League.
LACKS RATIFICATION
OF UNITED STATES
Will Bring Back Approximate
Draft Of Proposed So
ciety of Nations.
BY FRANK H. SIMONDs.

BY FRANK II. SIMONDS.
PARIS, February 6.-When Presi-
dent Wilson starts for America in
about ten days he will carry with him
something which approximates a draft
of the league of nations. All effort
and industry at the present time in
the peace conference are being con
centrated to this end, and it is fairly
safe to foreshadow definite result.
That the league of nations scheme
which the President will carry home
will be definite and precise docu-
ment, no one will pretend. The truth
of the situation is that the peace
conference now in session is daily
Transforming itself more and more
into real league of nations and
that in a considerable degree it will
be continuing fact so far as any
league of nations is concerned This
Will be a disappointment for those
who hoped that the whole future
would be rigidly and definitely organ
lied at Paris. 1t Will be relief for
those who feared that riridity and
insistence upon too great detail
would end by wrecking the whole
scheme. Obviously, therefore. the
result VIII represent compromise
between extremists of both sides.
Had No Coherent Program.
1t is essential to face the fact that
so far as President Wilson and his
european expedition are concerned,
the President came here with no
definite or clear or coherent program
for league of nations. Certain ideas,
esFtAtn pAaeess seYens cersAtn pstnci-
pies.y were expressed in various Of mis-
specches, but only in the vasuesi
SQrfzx xsQfs.zE HX,1,sxH He 5eessharag agstaB.
H9q III 444es hht NJ 14d MT t0f5S
mere prepared to present any vofkfrfg
o4sis Of an organizations for q lea1ue
Of nations, ss
{ In . very marked degree the Presi-
great contribution. as ! have tried to
point out before, was that he came to
Europe q symbol In the minds OF mil
lions OF Europeans, a symbol and a
promise of different order and set
tiement from that which they had
looked forward to receiving from
their own LEADERS, The effect of his
coming Nes to call forth something
AppfDxinnting an exposition Of the
tdealtsm and aspiration of millions Of
people. He demonstrated, in the srecep-
tions which came to him how eagerly,
how earnestly, millions of people over
here were looking forward to some
kind of settlement such as they con-
ceived he had come TO Europe to
champion.
Faces Almost Hopeless Task.
once mere the President nnds him.
self, as many another has found him.
hopeless task of translating aspfra-
nssn, msn i,Le Iann pnnris T.,
France, like half a dozen men in
England, had devoted the better part
~ IN ,inss ,se w ,ho nrassrat as anu woak aions
national peace and the creation of
international amity. British states
men IKE Loro hopert Cecii. like
zen SINUS, IKE Mr; Asquith, mad In
SeGi..,,, deesn. ZINES oue;lneu specincahy ana
oenniteIy certain sketcnes or a
machine 10 De cdhed ieague OF
nations;
All tnese various tentative sug-
geStiohs ana proposals confronted MI
Wisoh on MS arrival IL was sup
posed oy many that ne in his turn
american view OF what league of
naliohs snouiu De- In point of fact
ne hdo no scheme, ana situation
approaching paralysis resulted during
a certain period OF time.
nat was essentiai, so far as Mr..
wilson ana those associated with him
were concerned, was that the league
OF hatIons as ~ developed should In
no respect 90 violence to the famous
LouI .een points put the fourteen
points were not AT TINS end the basis
Ior a ieague OF nations or anything
eise-
Remains Silent
Thus the pres,as,,s no.,,,
course Of time developed rather in+o
an inactive attitude So far fro,,
oih pro-
posi"s' ne e'iaiieo silent. His real
contribution, II would SEEM was to
veto at various points whore .,
a..... susses
~ h,sht with his
fter cer,sn 1ana.h ih america.
-. haaa, 81 vi titne. now
. ,os ~ inat II real
pacsssarv to ceass diso wouId pc
strac, nIincinles and OF ab-
aetna, ronsfrncf;on nf ooWn 10
At This noint the Pres;dnr, ,nery, ana
less and his associates T., va. was heIp
can commission were useless. % and it