Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1922-03-25

the curtain rang down upon !
. the vast grim drama sof the
war NOV. IL, 1879 until II went |
upon the drama OF the peace
conference at Paris (Jan- IL,
1870 two full months elapsed,
President Wilson had arrived In
Europe on Dec. IS. ready and ex-
pecting to begin the conference at
once, or within a few days--and
. month slipped away.
To the impatient publics OF tho
world. suffering for peace. this de-
lay may have seemed empty and
barren enough, but II was packed
with intention, and to notable ex-
tent the entire course OF the peace
conference was determined at the
armistice and during these pre-
paratory months.
A certain delay. possibly a
month. was. OF course. reasonable
and inevitable. This was world
peace. Arrangements had TO be
made in twenty-seven allied ma
tions, delegations had to come
half around the world from Japan.
China. Australia. South Africa,
South America. India. A month
was evidently the period envisaged
when the armistice was signed;
the limit for fulfllment OF the
terms in every case except one)
was fixed at thirty-one days zone
was thirty-six days.. Mr.. Lloyd
George, who had gone to the coun-
try for stronger mandate for his
policies at Paris, had set the
British general election for Dec
IA. Thus Lloyd George had his
political campaign out OF the way.
Now, nothing is ever uncalcu
lated in diplomacy, and delay.
which always favors the thing that
Is. has ever been one OF the stock
weapons in that warfare. II the
diplomats. and especially the
French, who were ACTING as hosts
OF the conference and who were
thus chiefly responsible for deter
mining such matters OF produce
they must say when their house
was ready and in order-had de-
sired or thought IT in their in
terest 10 speed up the peace con-
ference. II could and would have
been done. But they evidently
calculated that delay. up TO a GER
tain point. worked TO their adyan
tage. BY putting off as long as
possible the rehabilitation OF the
most formidable army ever known.
which was under the command OF
4 French general-Marshal Foch
it made double sure the realities
OF the defeat OF the Central Pow
ers. and with the blockade which
was still maintained by the most
powerful fleet that ever sailed the
seas, ii held Germany in a grip
OF steel. while she crumbled into
political and economical dissolu-
ton Even al this period the
course of the world war being
fear.
French Begin With Possession
Moreover, the allied diplomats
were well satisfied 20 wait until
they had secured the last grain OF
advantage under the most drastic
Irmistice terms known 10 modern
war. While President Wilson hau
indeed laid down the principles
the peace, the military men who
were then efficiently in control.
had made the terms o. the ar
mistice, and the armistice was in
effect preliminary imposed treaty
IN which not only the usual and
immediate military and naval
terms were prescribed, but IN
broad outline many OF the boun-
daries which were subsequently,
10 be dem anded. and even finau.
cial and economic provisions weCC
added President Wilson was thu:
partly defeated by the military
men-or at least his task made
more dificult-before he arrived
in Europe. During the weeks o.
delay in December and Januar!
the French were making good tn
physical possession OF Alsace-LOc
raine. the Sarre coal fields and tn
Rhine frontier The Italians. too
where in territories claimed un
der the secret treaty OF London
They thus put themselves, unde
the armistice. in a powerful posi-
ton TO approach the peace deliber
atoms. They had won the min
points Of possession.
Moreover, the leaders OF Europ
were well aware of the reactiCl
OF public opinion in the world
now that the emotional strain o
the war was over, as was shown q
the last chapter, on the slump d
idealism after the war. Lloy
George had played upon it an
catered 10 1t his election in De
cember; Clemennceau had set
forth with almost brutal franknes
in speeches in the French Cham
Der. President Wilson could &
about Europe making speeches
reiterating his program; he woul
be warmly cheered by the NOR
liberal or radical groups OF tn
populations. but the control Of a.
fairs was again firmly in the hand
OF the old leaders and they kne'
that the tide was. at least tempo
parily, setting against the Pres
dent. against his broad progral
OF a peace of Justice and towar
the hard, bitter, retributiYe peaC
which the French and Italians ant
10 far lesser degree, the Bri
ish desired. Delay, therefore, tent
ed on the one hand to strengthe
the old leaders, give new force
traditional mthods, which wei
known and had worked. howert
badly, in the past. while on IN
other hand it tended to weake
the new American leadership an
confuse its program which, face
NV with chos:ic and sutferin