The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-11-07

put, aDoVe all, does anyone really believe that 1t would have been pos. sible to do the work that had to be done except by those who had full responsibility and sovereign power of decision? Would the ablest and most distinguished of officials been equal to 1t? This question can be answered by experience Half of the commissions when they really got to the heart of the problems they were asked to solve, hesitated to make d.,- cisions of principle which 1t was per fectly evident could only be taken by the heads of governments.
 Destroy n Legend
 In connection with these prclimi- nary discussions in December. 1918, 1t Is only right to destroy a legend which has found almost as many be- lievers as that of peace was pos sble in 1917,' and which is quite as untrue. I refer to the so-called deal said to have been made in Lon don between MT. Wilson and Mir Lloyd George. the former giving up freedom of the seas" in exchange for British support of the League of Nations. It Is fabrication, pure and simple "Eomancing." as M Clem- enceau said There was not in Lon don in December. 1918. any deal or negotiation on the subject of the Freedom of the seas" Mir. Wilson held that with the League of Ma tions established there would be no more neutrals, and that the problem of neutrality discussed for centuries in connection with the freedom of the seas no longer arose and could not arise. The President of the United States moreover made a public state ment on this subject in the spring of 1919. Besides agreement was com plete between the three heads of the governments of the United States, of France and of Great Britain on the subject of the decisive services rem dered by the naval power of Great Britain. NJ. Clemenceau said so plain. ly on September 26. 1919. in the Chamber of Deputies in the follow ing words: "Mr. Lloyd George said to me: Do you admit that without the British fleet you could not have con- tinued the war?' And answered. Yes Mir. Lloyd George had added: Are you disposed to prevent us in case of war doing the same thing again?' And I answered.: No" We'll. now. I repeated this conversation to President Wilson. It did not In the least disturb him. President Wilson answered me: I have nothing to ask you which could displease or embar- rass either of you Already then. Mir. Wilson was convinced that the League of Nations by itself sufficed to solve the problem. Mir. House, in a letter of October. 1920 was so kind as to confirm that no negotiation whatever took place on this subject in London at the end of 1918.
 Was Necessity.
 Theorists may deplore the super government" set up in Paris In l9l9 to their hearts content. It was a necessity. Such was work of the four. France may we'll be proud cf the part she played. ever firm and friendly. No one has ever stated tha. the methods adopted were all per- feet. But that they were adequate to a tremendous task Is proved by the results. It was cheap and easy to caricature this immense undertake ing to suit ones own purposes. The truth stands by itself. I am try Ing to tell 1t here.
 1 have perhaps waited too long to tell 1t. It would have been better to have spoken earlier. Another of the faults found with the conference in Paris was that IL surrounded itsel1 with mystery. I am inclined to the belief that, in this respect. mistake was really made. l hold that the conference was weakened by Its aloofness. Here again I feel im- pelled. even though I might prefer otherwise. to relate exactly how this came about.
 The representatives of the powers. great and small, arrived in Paris in December. 1919. An impressive array of journalists accompanied them; more than 300 from the United States alone. The press. thus molilized. had tremendous expectations. Were not the events of yesterday and tomor- row of unprecedented importanceg Had not the fullest publicity been promised? Did not the first of the If