New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-03-22
Paris Takes
Treaty Defeat
As Sad Blow
Deprived of All Hope of
Americas Help in Time
of Need, People Are Not
Inclined to Bitterness
Officials Blame Wilson
President Is Not Forgiven
for Continued Refusal
to Accept Reservations
Snecinl Cable to The Tribune

Special Cable to The Tribune
Copyright. 1920. New York Tribune 1nc.)
PARIS, March 21.--At this moment
Paris most needs the support Of the
peace council. She is deprived Of all
hope of Americas help, and in the face
of Anglo-Italian pressure toward treaty
revision, finds herself regretting more
and more that the United States is not
actively partaking in the conferences.
French official circles are inclined to
believe that they might find more SYM
pathy from America than the present
peace conference extends to French
opinion.
Under these circumstances the Sen
ate's rejection of the treaty comes as
a sad blow. Every one is inclined to
blame somebody but only small sec
ton of the country blames America as
a whole. Most people, including those
in official quarters, believe it is Presi-
dent Wilson's fault, while others CEN
sure Americas internal politics. Glenn
enceau's paper, "L'Homme Libre," tax
America has not ratified the treaty it
is largely the fault Of the French
press.
But, on the whole, the French reac-
ton is marked by an absence of Bit
terness. Perhaps the most resentment
President Wilson is not forgiven for
refusing reservations. The treaty with
reservations is much preferred in Eu-
rope to no treaty at all, and Wilson is
criticized for not accepting reservations
which would be perfectly satisfactory
to France.
LIE Matin" adopts an ironical tone,
pointing to the United States as a
country with sick President. 1t says:
"America, which has little taste for
paradoxes, nevertheless realized the
extraordinary paradox, a newly-born
Secretary of State and, after the great
est of all wars. no peace treaty.
with the President in clouds, the
Secretary of State in swaddling clothes
and the peace treaty still among the
cabbages. what is the situation?
Friendship Unbeatable
"Yet that is America, great sister
nation, to whom we unchangeably ex-
tend our profound affection and our
eternal confidence. 1t needs more than
a sick man to create cloud in clear
sky of two republics, and we need no
official notification to know that Amer
lea again would send her boys if we
were threatened as in 1918, and we
again would send her our Lafayette if
she were mcnaced as in $780,"
lie Figaro" says:
1--WE are convinced, if the circum-
stances again demanded, we could count
once more on the good will and help
of America. Between the great two re-
publics, united by time honored friend
ASal l~lr
they always have heen."
"The Paris Midi" says: "The con-
clusion that the peace treaty has be-
come, before everything else, a ques-
ton Of American politics, would be
just as wrong as to consider the Sem
ate's action a sign of American cold
ness toward France"
"L'Homme Libre" says: "Some of
our great newspapers can repeat their
mea. culpa. If they still have time to
weep over the American Senate's vote,
there remains to them at least the
consolation that it was largely due to
their efforts. American opposition was
of course organized by the personal
opponents Of President Wilson and the
lrreduciblc uphc lders Of the Monroe
Doctrine. bat it was powerfully forti-
fed. helped and increased by French
criticism"
Blame Mostly OH Wilson
NJ. Gauvin, writing in LIE Journal
dcs Debats" says:
"The responsibility for this sad sit
uation falls mostly on Wilson. He
was neither able to secure the Senate's
cooperation during the peace confer
ence nor to accept reservations which
applied only to the league of nations.
He persisted obstinatciy in his system
of absolutisnl.
1--WE take the liberty, nevertheless, OF
suggesting a way out. Let the disputed
reservations be voted conditonally. that
IS to say, that they only become bind
ing after the Presidential election. If
the election shows that the country sup
ports them, they shall remain; if not.
they shall be dropped.
such an arrangement would break
the diplomatic rule, but in this particu.
lar case conditional ratifi cation appears
permissible, provided the co-signatorics
are agreed. Wilson's face would be
saved, for it would thus be arranged
that the people whom he pretends to
represent should ultimately decide"