Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-04-08

~ the last chapter the organiza-
ton equipment and formal
sources OF information OF the
forces Of publicity, tho press. at
Paris were presented. In the pres
ent chapter tho actual struggle for
publicity within the councils OF the
conference itself will DO treated.
Tho first session Of the Peace
Conference (Jan. 12) did not oc-
cur until two months after the ar
mistice and a month after Presi-
dent wilson's arrival In Europe.
nv that time the press and public
opinion OF the whole world. and
especially that OF America. were on
tip-toe with expectation.
Various elements entered into
this immense development of pre-
liminary expectancy. The delay
itself was perhaps the greatest
single factor. Another was the
fact. already commented upon.
that most OF the American CORE
.pondents at the beginning had too
little background OF knowledge
OF foreign Affairs. or OF the history
and traditions that lay behind
every act In the drama. TOO
much emphasis was therefore
given nj irst 10 the superficial.
.pectscular and optomistic and too
little TO the grave fundamental Ia
sues at stake. There was too much
political drama. too little attention
TO deep-seated economic and nm
anc,al problems Everything was
made 10 look too easy.
Wilson. First Point Involved
still another important element
Of thi. world interpretation lay
in the literal Interpretation Of
pres,dent wilson's frst point:
Open covenants OF peace openly
arrived at"
II was assumed that open GOV
enant. openly arrived AZ" meant
that every process AT every point
would he wide open 10 the public
view. The President never meant
that tho birth pains OF the peace"
should he utterly exposed. but his
explanation, which he did his best
20 circulate, never overlook tho i'm
preston made by this earlier eI-
preston.
When pronounced for open
diplomacy." he wrote, June IL.
1918, in a memorandum for the
United States Senate. Il meant,
not that there should be no private
discussions OF delicate matters. bu,
that no secret agreements should
be entered into. and that all inter
national relations. when fixed
should he open, above-board and
explicit"
What he meant was the nboli-
ton Of secret treaties. not OF pri-
vSe discussions.
Whatever the complicated
causes. however. II is fact that
BY Jan IL. when those twenty-five
meu-four from America. -four
from Great Britain. three from
Italy and eleven from France
met for the first time there in thu
already famous council room IL
the Qusi d'Orsay. the public inter
est, anxiety and expectation hat
grown 10 enormous proportions
The curtain was at last TO rise.
new heaven and a new earth wer'
TO be revealed.
After the meeting OF the Su
preme War Council authorized 4
study the necessary condition
for the renewal OF the armistice
the representatives OF the power
took up the examination OF tn
procedure and the methods to b
followed in the conversations &
settle the preliminsries of tn
peace"
II was the writer's function 4
be a kind OF connecting link be
tween the Council OF Ten and tn
press. When the cOmmunique hal
been worked out AZ the Foreigi
once ] took II in hand and carriei
II a. once to the correspondent
gathered at the press bureau
shall never forget the disappoint
ment, evaporation. disgust. whe
that first communiQue was put out
As matter OF fact, IL ever
word uttered in that first confer
once had been made public
would have been regarded. on tn
whole. as a rather dull perform
ance; the people OF the worl
would have been disappointed. bu
they would have known. the
would have understood.
Reasons for Secrecy