Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1922-05-27

tory principle and General Smuts
arguing, no far as German South
west Africa was concerned. for
direct annexation TO his own do
miniono T South Africa. Indeed. tho
whole struggle In the council In be-
half OF the new principle fell upon
the President: even his own Secre-
tary OF State. Mr.. Lansing, wls
secretly opposed TO him.
The discussion thus precipitatcd
by Mr.. Lloyd George on Jan. %
occupied most OF the time of the
Cohncil OF Ten for an entire week,
and developed much heat and
When It became plain Mt last that
the President would not give in;
that he could not be fooled into
accepting vague future promise OF
League with the immediate settle
mcnts upon the basis of the old
military and nationalistic interests,
his opponents at once and again
with great cleverness shifted their
method OF attack. The French tried
one way. tho British another n
thoroughly Characteristic Of the
nation attacking. At Paris.
throughout the conference. tho
French were always more direct and
outspoken. than the British. II thsy
believed thing they said Il. One
knew where Clemenceau stood and
what he intended TO do; ono never
knew where Lloyd George stood: he
never stood twice In the Same place.
Attacks in Frsneh Newspapers
Thus the French. when they could
| not got the President to accept their
! blunt idea OF annexation pure and
simple" in the secret conferences
| began n red hot attack upon him
outside in the press. especially In
those newspapers which act notori-
ously as instruments OF the French
Foreign Office. They began to COM
/ ment bitterly upon the President
and his "impractlcable ideals" Al
though the proceedings behind tho
muffied doors at the Quai d'Orsny
wero supposed 10 be absolutely
secret-D that American corre-
,spondents could get next 70 nothing
! ~ NJ LVltLtl Allik HitdN as kplAtR III
the French papers were evidently
fuzzy informed. Certain British
papers also published quite COM
pletely an account of the contro-
versy between Mr.. Wilson and Mr..
Hughes OF Australia which lost
nothing in emphasis and dramatic
importance. nor, Il may be said. in
the essential truth Of the facts
stated, because the proceedings had
been secret. Mr.. Hughes gave our
interviews with scarcely yelled at
tacks upon Mr. Wilson.
on Jan. 80 the President protested
against these attacks. az he said. iii
unaffected good hurnor.' but as
question Of privilege"
Result Of Wilson's Polite Unrest
At once tho direct attacks in tbs
| French press ceased. for the French
desired no public appeal by tho
President upon this issue OF their
anexationist progran-out from
that time onward. in a certain num-
Der OF the papers, there was an
underlying subtle spirit OF criticism
Of the President.
The British, upon their part. had
a much subtler scheme. II they
could not move Wilson from his de-
mand that the colonies come under
the mandatory system. they might
get the distribution made and the
conditions defined in advance and
apart from the covenant Of the
League They therefore advance
the tempting theory that the League
had really been born" as Lloyd
George expressed il. with the passage
OF the resolution in the plenary ses-
sion of Jan. -. AS Hughes OF Aus
tralia put it, "a de facto League o.
Nations (was) already in existence
in that room" This de facto league
could therefore parcel out the
colonies-as mandates il il chose to
call them so. but on condition.
agreeable 70 the recipients. What
they wanted was possession!
But the President fought this. TOP
One last attempt was made q
force the Presidents hand. Lloyd
George held a separate meeting o.
the British empire delegation
which from all accounts was heateC
and with great difficulty got tn.
Dominion premiers 20 agree 70 :
resolution defining the mandatory
system in fairly generous terms (.
the hope that this would satisfy tbs
President and induce him to asre
to an immediate distribution.
The President did not quarre
!
indeed. he pronounced it "a yer.
gratifying paper" But he woul,
not be hurried into action on I'll
vs. 'asis OF il.
n With the detailed discussion O
III he provision OF Mr.. Lloyd George
resolutions came further argument
and objections from Mr.. Massey AM
Mr.. Hughes, still in favor OF direc
It annexation.
ne But in spite OF this defiance bot
to Hughes and Massey finally sal
es they expected to accept the reso
luton. While the Dominions thu
cd permitted the question OF mandate
al to go to the League OF Nations Com
al mission. they were sore enough
~ The French also were bitterly dis
or appointed not only over this failur
- to get the immediate division OF III
mr. colonies, but for another crlcis
- reason. They wished TO have th
~, right in their mandatory colonies
% raise native troops. not merely 70
), police use in the colonies, but Z
~ fight for France elsewhere. Her
~ they also met the determined OF
- ,oS;tio,, 81 pre-cidan4 xy{Iso, ~ ma