Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-06-10
= What Happened While Wilson Vas Away From Paris

military commissions. ". did not
appear In the Council until Monday,
the 18th.
But In the meantime he had scte1
with stunning audacity and direct
ness eaturday morning March Is,
about II o'clock, he called the writer
on the telephone. through secret
circuit which ran directly from his
study In the Place des Etats Unis TO
| the Crillon Hotel. He ssked me to
deny the report. now everywhere
current in Europe--and 20 some cx-
tent In Amcrica--that there would be
separate preliminary peace treaty
with the Germans excluding the
League OF Nations.
II want you to say that we stand
exactly where We stood on Jan. 25
when the Peace Conference adopted
the resolution making the covenant
an integral part OF the general
treaty OF peace"
This" ! responded, 'is most
| vital announcement think
should draw It up and have you ap-
prove II before putting II out"
A Public Statement.
I therefore drew up n statement,
took Il up to the President and
secured his approval. We Issued II
Immediately. It follows.
/ March IS. 1919.
, The President said today that the
decision made at the Peace Con
| F.fa
! Jan. 25, 1919, to tho effect that the 4.
establishment Of League OF
, Nations should be made an integral
} part Of the Treaty Of Peace, IL OF
final force and that there is no basis
! whatever for the reports that a
y change in this decision vas contsn-
plated.
{ The resolution on the League os
! Nations, adopted Jan. rs. 1919, at
the plenary session OF the Peace
9 Conference, was az follows:
]. II is essential 10 the mainte-
I nance Of the world settlement.
which the associated nations ara
. now met 70 establish. that League
y Of Nations be created TO promote
: international operation 10 insure
national obligations. and 20 provide
safeguards against war.
2 2. This League should be treated
- as an integral part Of tho general
:, Treaty Of Peace. and should be open
:, to every civilized nation which can
~ be relied upon to promote its OBJ
1. jects.
=, }. The members Of the League
n should periodically meet In inter
10 national conference, and should
- have permanent organization and
in secretariat to carry on the business
70 or the League in the intervals be-
IN tween tho conferences.
il This bold pronouncement fnv I4.e
a Veritable bombshell in Paris II
overturned. in one swift stroke tho
most important action Of tho confer
Z ence during the Presidents absence
The obscure tendencies. the dark
| forces' which had been at work for
| the past month were brought uu
| with a jerk.
Effect Of the Statement.
Tho President did not go out Of
1 nis way 10 critioise what had been
| done, or to attack any one: he
merely announced his purpose. II
was an extraordinarily able stroke
ny definifAly recalling the previou,
| action OF the conference which haf
| not been fescinded, he was in ar
utterly impregnsble position. y,
| this action he centred interes, ao,i,
l upon the League OF Nations. AS Z,
Il ! UhPfher he
making was called preliminary, o
! "hnar' he did not in the least care /
he secured the reality for which h,
was after; that the covenant b.
made the basis OF any general
treaty OF peace which containe
territorial, economic, colonial an
other settlements.
Bitter and fierce attacks upon IN
President Immediately deyeloned &
ooth French and British newspaper
to which he made no reply. II an
parently destroyed the popular o,
pectation Of an early peace. whic
not only rested upon a real nassio
OF wearisess. a real and deep desir
10 get the armies demobiIized an
the wheels OF industry started agai,
but an expectation fostered bv cer
tain reactionary newspapers in bot
France and England. The policy ,
THESE papers was; Don't both.
about new principles or ideal.
settle the war quickly; form a. ne
military alliance among the Allie
including America: divide ND n
spoiis among the victors, exceptin
America, and get back home.
These attacks were the for.
runners OF the tremendous strugg
which now followed swiftly. TT
net results of the bold count-.
stroke Of March Is were mixed. an
ala not by any means represent
complete victory for the Presiden
lie had been absent from the battl.
field and could not recover all I'll
lost ground. II nothing more wa
heard OF general peace without II
League, neither was anything moi
heard OF military settlement ar
demobilization preceding the gener
peace--a condition Wilson desire
~ and thought ne had assured befol
ne left Paris. In this matter n
lO French gained their point. No DR.,
to- limnaries OF any description we
nm. ever signed. and the final treaty W.
nat signed with considerable armies ST
pm afoot and ready 10 march into Gei
many.
But Wilson could stlm. perhap
count the greater triumph his.
'oo' must be remembered that he hs
alb largely discounted the terms OF Il
was Treaty in advance and pinned h
n faith TO the League. He was keel
neil ing the League pretty much as !