Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-02-25

tho boulevards in n blaze OF glory. |
Hts reception had been unexam-
pied. He had come with Amer
ican ideas and American prin-
ciplcs. and he was face to face
at last with the Old World. the
problems Of the Old World. the
politicians OF the Old World. the
diplomacy OF the Old World.
II the President, during more
than two years. had been gradu-
ally building up, speech by speech.
in messages TO Congress. in corre-
spondence with foreign powers
all in the free public mir. wide
open to the world and known to
every American soldier-a solid
and stately structure OF principles
which represented the American
attitude toward the coming peace.
80 Also had the nations OF Europe
and Asia been working out their
conceptions of the roming settle
mentp. also In notes, "conversa-
tious." treaties. Much Of this had
been done before America entered
the war. and practically all In the
dark. In the form of secret
treaties''-arrangc between
diplomats. which were withheld
from the people who were doing
the actual fighting.
strength OF the Old Traditions.
II may be said that the Govern
mcnts OF the allied nations, after
America came In, accepted the
American ideas. IL r. true. they
did: they agreed solemnly to the
Presidents principles at the armi-
stlce. The great liberal and labor
groups were everywhere with him.
and there were leaders even in the
Governments. especially in Great
Britain, who endeayored earnestly
to stand by. But when the Pt ace
Conference began the same ele-
ments in each nation. often the
same leaders, who had made those
secret treaties, were still in power.
Not only did most OF them know
and believe in that method OF
diplomacy-some of them had
been schooled in IL all their lives
not only were they committed to
the full use OF the military
method. which they also under
stood perfectly, but. far more fun
damental than either. these secret
treaties represented the real views,
the real desires, the real necessi-
ties OF the various Governments.
For what a man or nation desires
secretly is the reality; what he
says is the appearance.
Suffice IL to say that though con-
ditions had radically changed in
the course of the war, though
America had come in and Amer
lean principles had been univer-
sally accepted. though Russia had
disappeared as factor In the
settlement though the Austro-
Hungarian Empire had entirely
broken up Can event predicted by
no responsible statesman In the
early days of the war. although
Lloyd George had called il. in
1914, "ramshackle empire'D A.,
even though the secret treaties
had been in some instances dis
claimed, yet the demands set forth
during the Peace Conference by
the various nations were Gas will
be shownD exactly the claims
made in those very secret treaties.
IL we can understand. then, as
a foundation what was in these
old secret treaties the entire stage
Of the drama at Paris will be pow
erfully illuminated.
Conflicts Due to secret Treaties.
But without an understanding
OF these treaties there can be no
true understanding of what really
happened at Paris. Two of the
great conflicts there, the Italian
and japanese settlements, turned
largely upon the existence OF
secret treaties, and the black trail
OF the serpent of secret diplomacy
OF the earlier days Of the wal
also disfgured the discussions OF
the disposition of the German colo.
nies and the settlements in Turkey
and played part in nearly every
other important controversy.
1t was the most insidious single
element working against full pub.
licity OF the proceedings, for it in.
NttNtA PlA RostS Nultil iHt
pean powers dared not discuss in
public. II cramped and hamperet
the experts. 1t caused the chic
European councillors themselve.
to play fast and hose with one an
other. Nothing in the voluminou!
records OF the Council OF Ten ant
Council Of Four at Paris is NOR,
impressive than the amount o
Uncomfortable time, priceless.
energy-devoted TO trying to de
wise methods of getting around ol
over OF through these old secre
entanglements. There, and not il
discussions OF the League of Ma
tions, was where the time was lost
80 1t was in this atmosphere tha
President Wilson came asking tn,
nations to trust one another. [,
have faith in one another. Fo
the basis of the old diplomacy wa
suspicion, the basis of the new, /
ever there is to be a new, mus
be mutual trust; and that trus
among nations, as among individ
ual men. must rest upon truth
telling. frankness. openness o
purpose.
The Treaty Of London.
On April &c, 1915, nine month
after the war began, the secre
treaty OF London, which brough
Italy into the war, was signed
While the liberals OF Europe kne,
in part the promises the Allies ha
made to Italy chad had to make,
they also knew the danger tha
lurked in such annexationist com
mitments. They knew also tina