Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-06-10

= 70 sooner had the President left
Paris, on Feb. 10, than the
forces OF opposition and discon-
tent began to act. On Feb. "a rcso-
lutions were adopted by the Council
Of Ton which, II carried through,
would wreck the entire American
scheme for peace.
1t was exceedingly shrcwd strategy
these skilled diplomats played. They
did not like the League as drafted
and they did not want the covenant
in the treaty. but they made no di-
rect attack on either proposal. The
League was scarcely mentioned in
the conferences until just before the
President returned.
Their strategy was as simple as IL |
was ingenious. They had been left. |
rs was shown in the last chapter. |
with resolutions which the President |
had strongly supported. TO make |
quickly preliminary peace treaty |
including only military. naval and |
air terms. What was easier or more |
obvious than TO generalize that |
treaty. put into II also all the other |
terms that really mattered to them-
boundaries. reparations. colonies: in
short, crowd tho whole peace into
the preliminary treaty without any
reference TO the League. This would
set them the settlements they want
cd. and II would prevent demob.liza-
tion OF the allied armies until the
terms were imposed upon the Ger
mans. II was just another aspect
of tho French attempt. which had
already been balked by Wilson and
Bliss. 10 crowd peace terms into the
armistice and thus got them imposed
ny military force before the treaty.
let alone the league, was even dis
cussed. II the League got squeezed
out in the process. or was consigned
TO some innoCuous future conferences
after all the settlements were made
who cared?
Thus. while it is TOO much 10 say
that there was direct plot. while
Wilson was away. to kill the League
or even To cut Il out of the treaty,
one can affirm with certainty that
there was an intrigue against this
plan OF a preliminary military and
naval peace-which would have in
directly produced the same result.
Behind Wilson's Back.
II seemed that every militaristic
and nstionalistic force came in
stsntlv to the front when Wilson
departed Ilovd George had gone
home. but instead Of leaving the
liberal leaders in control in Paris.
mon who were imbued with the pur-
poses laid down in the League
cecil. Smuts and Barnes-who were
Indeed LLOYD Georges associates on
the British Peace Commission, he
sent over Winston Churchill the
most militaristic Of British leaders.
churchill was not n member OF the
peace delegation and had had moth
ing before 10 do with the Peace Con-
ference. Moreover. he was n ram
pant opponent OF the League. Part
Of the time also Sir Robert Borden,
the Canadian leader. sat in the
Supreme Council. While he asked
nothing for Canada, he strongly
supported the claims of the other
British dominions for an immediate
distribution Of the German colonies
These men. with Mr. Bslfour were
thus 10 direct British affairs at Paris
while the President was away.
The first thing that Winston
Churchill did was to demand instan,
action regarding Russia. and he
practically supported Fochs Napo-
leonic scheme, which Foch now
resurrected with new determination
for applying military force against
Soviet Russia. Great armies were
to he gathered. including the Ameri.
cans. and vast war was TO bt
waged TO pacify Eastern Europe!
on the morning OF Feb. 10, just a.
Clemenceau was getting into hi:
automobile TO go TO the conference
an assassini crept up and shot him.
Il am a F'renchmsn and an Anar
chist." shouted Coffin.
The animal shoots Well" sal,
Clemenceau as he pitched forward
cit is nothing"
But the hard-knit. formidable ol'
man at least had 10 go to bed. Thi
left Balfour the outstanding states
man at the conference with Pichon
who represented everything that wa
old IN diplomacy. in charge Of tn
French delegation. While Clemen
ceau was no liberal. yet he had wis
dom. Thus Foch, whom only Glen
enceau could keep in hand. ros
powerfully into the foreground.
Curiously also-and as though
were part OF a we'll -worked-out plat
Orlando. who represented tn
liberal forces in Italy. had also gon
home. leaving Sonnino. withou
doubt the most reactionary states
man at Paris. in control.
Lansing Nominally at Helm.
As for America. Mr.. Lansing wa
titular head Of the delegation.
Not one word was said in til
councils about the preliminary mill
tary term--the most important out
standing business before them--fo
an entire week. But conference
We know. were busily going on be
hind the scenes. We have Mr.. Ba
four's own word. spoken in the secr'
\ councils. that he consulted privatel
with NJ. Pichon. and even, so in
portant did he consider the matte
that he went with NJ. Pichon to s,
Clemenceau, then lying i'll of h
wounds.
In the session OF Feb. 30. Balfol
introduced his extraordinary ne
resolution. providing that the couno
proceed without delay to the col
sideration Of other preliminary pea'
terms with Germany-these inclu'