New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1921-05-13
WILSON TOOK NEEDLESS RISK

The issue of the London "Rount
Table" for March, 1921, contains som'
interesting information for American
readers. In an article entitled dip.
lomacy by Conference" Sir Maurice
Hanbey tells of the part he played
in the Paris peace conference. Sill
Maurice was the secretary of the
famous, Council of Four, and record
ed all the decisions and prepared the
minutes of its meetings. AS is well
known, the Council of -Four, COM
posed of our former President, Mr.
Lloyd George, Clemenceau, and Sig
nor Orlando, was the real peace con-
ference. Its decisions were made, for
mally announced TO the other dele
gates, and accepted by them as the
best they could obtain at Paris. How
extensive was the work of the Coun-
Gil is indicated by Sir Maurice Han
hey. Some idea of the pressure on
these four men may be gathered"
he states, from the fact that the re-
cords comprise EOS meetings in lOl
days (including IS Sundays,l and &C.
cupy ten large foolscap volumes OF
typescript. No less than GA conclu-
sions were recorded"
Many of those conclusions direct
ly affected the United States. One
of them, it is understood, disposed of
the island of zap to Japan. Yet
throughout the proceedings no Am
erican secretary was admitted. Sir
Maurice Hanbey, the Secretary OF
the British War Mission took all the
notes and wrote the record upon
which was based all the substantial
features OF the Versailles Treaty, He
was the only man present in addi-
ton to the members OF the Council
themselves with the occasional ex-
ception of Count Aldodrandi of the
Italian Mission. The President took
a needless risk" says former secer-
tary Lansing, " in not having an Am
secretary present to chronicle
the proceedings
Mr.. Lansing puts the case very
1t was not only a needless
but subsequent occurrences have
shown that it involved the United
States in most veXationS embarraS-
For instance, the allied states
men insist that the head of the Am
erican peace delegation was present
when the zap mandate was given to
Japan and made no protest. That
gentleman himself, however, declares
he never at any time consented
to the surrender of American rights
the island. Accurate lhinutes OF
the meeting would disclose which
contention is correct, but no minutes
at all are published, and the only
in existence, SO far as Ameri-
are aware, was written by an
Englishman and is still in his Gus
tody.
The most vital records OF the whole
peace conference are those ten large
ioolscap volumes Of typescript" set
ting forth what was done by the
Council of Four. The information
they contain would have been OF i'm
assistance to the Senate dur
ing the discussion OF the peace trea-
.y and league, and would have Ia
aided the formation OF sound
public opinion in the campaign OF
asst summer The profound effect of
he Councils proceedings oil the
peace treaty was fully realized in
This extraordinary secrecy
and a%rrogation OF power by the Coun-
I'll of Four" writes Mr.. Lansing, EEK
astonishment and complaint
throughout the body of delegates TO
he Conference, and caused wide
criticism in the press and
among the people of many coun-
Yet the former president was quite
to entrust the future rights
IF the United States, as they were
affected by the Councils decisions, to
he honesty and accuracy OF a single
british official in recording them.