Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-07-01

3:00-Meeting at French War Of
nee With Clemenceau, lasting until 7
7:i5-Met secretary Daniels.
7:25-Met me.
S:00-Dinner.
e:O0--Studying reports and maps
for tomorrow's meetings.
The President was thus under a
strain far greater than tnat Of any
other OF the -Four. And yet It vas
also hard on the others. Clemen-
ceau suffered in the sessions from
violent attacks ~ coughing. the af-
termath OF the ~assassin's bullet
wound. As for Lloyd George. his
description Of thesc days. made later
in the House Of Commons, IN reply
20 ar attack Of the NorthcllHe press,
lis n classic:
We had 70 . work cYoydes
hours. long and late. because. whilst
We were trying TO build. we saw in
many lands the foundations Of So
clety %crunbiing into dust, and ws
had 10 make has-e. . am
doubtful whether any body ~ men
with n dircult task have worked
under greater difficulties 49, tones
cracking on the roof and crashing
through the windows. and sometimes
Wild .nen screaming through tire
keyholes."
Wilson Standing Firm.
The ~struggie in The DARK had nor
been going on for about two weeks.
and practically nothing had been
settled. Notifications in the form
OF their demands had indeed been
offered by the French. but the sub
stance was not substantially changed.
One day the problem Of the Rhine
frontier would be discussed in an
endless round Of argument. coming
back always 10 the irrefucibis
French demands for security. tho
next day the Saar Valley problem
would be fought over; the next, pro-
posals-the most difficult and ON
plicated Of sll-for r~eparations.
There now began to be A sharp
alarm lest the Peace Conference
actually break down-and II II did.
what chaos might follow?
Wilson still stood firm on the Issue
Of the pre-armistice pledges. Cle-
nenceau threatened 10 resign. IN
deed the logged veteran was himself
under great pressure from the POM
caire-Foch group in France. The
President had frankly faced this con-
tiugency. but the difficulty was that
IL Clemenceau vent out his successor
was likely TO be still more intransig-
cant, harder 10 deal with.
A new Premier" ne remarked
sadly on April 2. would probably be
no better than Cliemenceau."
on another occasion he said:
"Clemenceau is threatening - re-
sngn."
Would it not clear the situauon?"
I asked.
We should probably get some man
Ike Poincaire in his place" he said
helplessly.
Wilson himself had also said that
IL the conditions OF peace agreed &c
! by all of them were 10 be torn UP he
might as well go home. But Clemen,
ceau took fright at this, for he va:
no more anxious 70 see Wilson leave
the conference than he himself va:
70 resign. His principle was 70 keeI
the three great powers together 70.
the security Of France. Thus both
he and Wilson had tremendous wea,
pons in their hands, but both shranl
from using them. The danger 70 tn,
world was too great; and il was plan
enough o Wilson that if the confer
euce did break up the war that Fool
and the militarist party was so Gag
erly demanding, and the intriguers o
Central Europe 50 busily exciting
would probably begin at once
America still had a vast army Il
France and Germany; could she keeI
out Of such a war. General Bills
saw this danger clearly and dreadeI
Il.
The time has not come" said tn
President, in confidence. We can
not risk breaking up the Peace Con
~ference-yet. DIARY, 1861
But he had begun now 10 conslde
ever that extreme measure. He ha
begun considering an actual with
drawal of America from the confer
nee.
An UnhearsoIe Crisis
On April , matters were reachin
an unoearable crisis. BolshevlsI
was spreading into starving Gel
many. due TO the fact. pointed out a
~ long ago as Feb. + by Herbel
Hoover in a letter TO the Presiden
that the French, by obstruction
rs every financial measure that we ca
propose 70 the feeding of German
10 in the attempt 70 compel as to loa
sy money TO Germany for this purpos
at have defeated every step so far fc
u getting them 10 the food which v
have been promising them for thrc
" months
1y On April , the President was
so the end of the tether. I find in n
notes for that day:
He (the Presidency said hat
could not go on many days Longer
1s that il some decision could not !
r reached by the middle of next wee
he might have to make q positi,
lly break.
ng 4 spoke OF the feeling Of unrest
y the world, the new revolts in &c
", many and in Hungary. and Of Il
n blame for delay that was everywhe
Of being charged, unjustly, against hir
at II know that he said. I kno
on that. He paused. But we've got
make peace on the principle la
lie down and accepted, or not make
at all"
But it was all too much for h
his overburdened constitution. On Il
he following day, April 3. he fell SCI
ously i'll, and on April 7, as soon
a he was again on his feet, he order,
tina GanrUa NAaghf--@-- 81 =