Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-02-12

that the American people. Ioo'"ou'
strong. were. behind 1t. Inc S .
sressional elections Of 1918 DID IN
doubtediy raise doubts IN "eh-
formed minds. The protest OF III.
Republican Senators strengthened
these doubts.
But to the mass Of Europeans the
American President was in a superior
position. as regards sure support
home. over any Of our Allied Ffe
miers. They do not understand on,
system. Under their system he couio
not have come. to Europe at all II NE
had really been outvoted at the poiis'
SO they. seeing many Leading ne
publicans openly backing MIN anu
noting the overwhelming majority u
the American press behind him. TOOK
him ''at par" Even their pest
formed leaders were in a very oeii-
cate situation. If they had ques-
toned his right to speak for amer
ica," would not America" have tneh
resented their implied rebuh to our
official spokesman?
The writing Of the Covenant OF the
League was a merry battle. wilson
undoubtedly was compelled to give
way on many points. But he wonio
never have got anything approaching
as much as he did If his European
opponents, stepped in pessimism. had
not always felt behind his blows the
tremendous weight of the American
people. Just as Europe misjudged
US. as we convinced her at Chateau
Thierry. when she dubbed US dollar
chaSers," so now she misjudged US
again when she thought us all rain
bow chasers. But the result was
the creation of what was regarded
as an american" League Covenant.
which Clemenceau insisted upon stiff
fleming with a military alliance. and
Of which the Italians believed they
had got the first bitter foretaste' in
the F'iume decision.
Then Wilson brought his Covenant
back to America to find that appre-
, hension had been aroused here.
-iary. including ourselves. did not
share that apprehension. But it was
| industricusly stirred up: and nothing
is easier than to criticize Il com
promise" by comparing it with an
| impossible perfection. There were
other nations engaged in the bargain
ing: and naturally they got some
thing out of it. America wanted
nothing. and got it. A nation trained
for century-under quite other con-
ditions which have now passed for
ever-to believe that they need not
have anything at all to do with Eu-
rope were easily appealed to by an
argument which demanded perfection
or nothing. They were harder to
| reach with the argument that the
world has greatly shrunk in the last
! five years and that we now share
| Europe's fire risk"
/ But President Wilson took the
! position that the bargain he had
made with Europe in our name could
not now be changed. He fought for
every line. He doubtless felt him
self in honor bound to secure the
ratification of the instrument upon
J which he and his fellow compromis-
ers in Paris had finally agreed. Fail
| ing to coerce the Senate. which, by
! the way, was only exercising its con-
| stitutional rights. he appealed to the
! people: and he came peri.ousIy near
| laying down his life on the altar-not
Of his ideal-but of the best that his
bargaining in Paris had won him.
He had sold out his ideal in Paris.
He had to do so in order to get any
| thing. But what perpleSes those
Americans most anxiods to see his
League established. and most conf
| dent that it will at all events put i'm
/ portant barriers in the way of war.
! is the seeming fact that he was ready
! to yield and chatter and trade in
! Paris when he was dealing with alien
J opposition. while he is absolutely set
against yielding jot or title when
he is dealing with American opposi-
ton. much of it undoubtedly sincere.
| We have already spoken of one
possible explanation OF th;s-his de-
sire to make good to his confreres
| in Paris the worth CT the signature
which they accepted as representing
America" Another possibility is
| that he knows how difficult the com
/ promise was to achieve and fears to
permit any change lest the entire in
. tricate and delicately interviewer
fabric fall to pieces.
| But now on both these counts he
| is honorably released and fully re-
assured. Britain and France will
! take our reservations" without
| blinking. Yet we hear from the
, sickness sealed White House-surely
there has seldom been so widely in
| furious an illness in history-that the
! President is annoyed at the hand by
, which this release and reinsurance
came. and is thinking more of a per-
! sona1 punctilio. which he himself so
/ little regarded in the case of British
! and Italian Ministers, than Of the
| broad, smooth way now opened up
for healing and final compromise.
! In two words. is President Wilson,
/ having forced his League on Europe,
| now determined with pontifical AFRO
| gance to force the Paris version of
the League on America? It is most
! difiicalt to discover possible motive
| for holding stubbornly out any long
er for the ipsissimas verba of the
Paris document. except the personal
motive Of pride of authorship. The
British DO not insist on their bar
gain. Neither do the French. The
attitude Of Europe toward the Ameri-
can feeling regarding the League is:
1T always was your baby Clothe
, 1t to suit yourselves. Nothing so far
| proposed will cause any change of
allegiance over here. But, for the
| love Of humanity and for the ultimate
safety OF your. own democracy, has
ten to help US put through the gigan-