Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-02-06
Wilson'S Silence
WedkeE1s Treaty

Continued from Page One
great English satisfaction with it. IT
is this which Mr.. Low sees when he
says that Lord Grey letter was well
meant but i'll advised"
We face the possibility. as Il result of
this incident, of a national campaign
with England and anti England as the
Chief issue. That consequence would be
deplorabe with all the world in Il mess
and with Henry p. Dawson, of Morgan
Co, remarking that the stock ex-
change is about to "make history"
while he is absent in Europe on the
trip whereupon he has just set out.
Opposition Angers President
Mr. Wilson cares too much for his
ideals of international relations, for the
heart of the world" that he talks so
much about, to appropriate such an
issue as Lord Grey has perhaps pre-
sented to him. But, as has often to
be said in discussing this subject, the
President of the United States is an
angry man. This treaty situation has
been unpredictable from the outset and
remains as unpredictable as ever.
1t remains so because the fate of the
treaty is bound up with the person
ality Of Mr.. Wilson. The issue oLford
Grey's letter is not merely diplomatic
issue, but highly personal issue.
Echo de Paris stated this when it
said that the publication of Crews let =
ter meant that allied Europe had
abandoned Mr.. Wilson" and gone
over to the Republicans. After Paris.
Mr.. Lloyd George could not do that
without leaving sores.
1t is well to discuss the Grey letter
as an episode in open diplomacy. Fol-
Mr.. Lloyd Georges justification anc
even if Lloyd George formally disavows
Lord Grey's letter, the disavowal won't
alter the facts. Publicity was his policy
for Lloyd Georges justification may
be offered the gravity of Europe.
What is breaking the heart of the
world is not the verbal issues presented
in the reservations, but the delay ovel
the making of peace: Europe is stead
lily breaking. The future of organized
society there is in question while W.
debate whether it shall be ''uuless o
until" in Article Y. And we threateI
to take the great ''unless or until
question to the people at large mex
November.
Should Ignore Technicalities
Now, it ought to be possible fol
Europe to brush ASIDE teChnlcalltlGi
and address the American people them,
selves, not letting Mr.. Wilson stanc
in the way of such communications
That is what open diplomacy means.
But the practice of open diplomacy
requires great courage, great frank
ness, great sincerity, great honesty.
Lord Robert Cecil, a genuine frient
of the League of Nations, might have
spoken to the American people Will
the voice of Europe and given no of
fense. But he would have spoken fol
| himself across the water, as Wilson
did during the war. He would moi
have sent a special representative here
to confer privately with the party thai
was about to come into power. Ant
he would not have had his specia
representative come home, as LIoyt
George did and in his private capacity
write a letter TO the LONDON Times
which would incidentally reveal the dir
need of Europe.
Mr.. Wilson himself is an open diplo
mat. The fault he finds with the ope
! diplomacy Of Lloyd George, as prac
ticed by Lord Gtey, u not that he ad