Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-04-22
VXYHEN tho nations came to
" grapple at Paris one OF the

first and most important
questions to arise was. who should
control?
Twenty-seven nations were there,
which should control the conference?
Should small and weak nations be
accorded equality OF representation
with the great empires and powersr
Should enemy nations he admitted?
II so. at what point In tho proceed
ings7
These questions penetrate TO the
very core of the issues at Paris: In
the discussion OF them the real POSI-
ton os the nations and their repre-
sentatives was developed; the true
metal of each leader tested. the ul-
Innate lines OF action determined.
Tho most fundamental problem OF
control. remarkable as Il may seem.
was settled practically without dis
cussion. 1t was assumed that the
conference was TO he controlled by
the allied NATIONS without consulting
Germany. Austria, Hungary, Turkey
or Belgium. This was. indeed. the
inevitable corollary OF the crushing
victory achieved by the Allies. and
the bitter hatreds excited by a war
OF unprecedented ferocity The
peace was thus to he imposed not
negotiated. II was not to he a con
gress where all the nations, former
enemies as well as former friends,
were represented. but conference
alone OF the Allies.
While this decision grew SO
naturally out ot the conditions ~
tho time as 10 occasion scarcely
ripple OF comment, Il was in reality
OF fsr-reach,ng Importance. for il
imposed at once upon the Allies the
heavy burden. one of the most dim
cult tests OF human nature. of try
ing TO do justiCe-or assuming to
try!-while they themselves still
smarted under wsrpins sense of
monstrous injury. and of doing Il
without hearing or couferring with
the other side; indeed. while still
profoundly fearing. distrusting, hat
ing tho other side.
Peace Without Victory" Recalled
President Wilson had seen this
problem. n. he saw most Of the
problems OF the war. with great
clarity OF vision In the earlier
days OF the war, before such depths
of bitterness had been reached he
fore the America came in, and while
yet the secret treaties represented the
real foreign policies OF the nations.
he had spoken Gin January, 1910 OF
peace without victory" lie evil
dsntly hoped that a negotiated peace
might be posshle-and there was. as
we now know. some warrant at that
time In hoping that II might he
brought about-for he feared the
results of an overwhelming victory
and an imposed peace by either side
Il am seeking he SAYS. only 10
face realities. Victory would
moan peace rorCed upon the loser. a
victors terms imposed upon tho
VanQuished II would be acce pied
in humiliation under duress, at an
intolerable sacrifice, and would leave
= sting, a resentment, bitter mem
ory upon which terms OF peace
would rest not permanently. but
only as upon quicksand
A sweeping victory indeed OF the
Allies at that time (and this ap-
piled stNl more forctby 10 Ger
man victory with q literal applica-
ton OF the agreements already
made in the secret treaties. with no
program for settlements on new
principles OF Justice. no vision OF
new basis OF international relation
ships, would have re1llted. as the
President clearly saw, only in new
md moro dangerous balances Of
power, and new and more Jealous
combinations OF interest: and event
ually lay tho foundations for new
wars
But the struggle deeponed; the
Germans were insanely determined
rs uttermost conclusion. In April.
1917. America came in, and II be-
came more evident every month that
tho war would have TO be fought to
n finish. There would have TO be
what Lloyd George called knock
out blow" In short. Il became evil
dent that there must be. In spite OF
tho dangers which the President had
so plainly seen, a victor's peace. He
accepted Il as a reality, and began
at once 10 deivse method. the
foundsti OF which he had already
laid 10 meet A..
He had 20 develop. and develop so
powerfully that no nation could get
away from them. policies OF states
manship which would make a vic
tors peace safe for the world. He
must lift the whole psychology OF
tho struggle TO n higher plane: a
moral plane. He must. by appeal
ing 20 every idealistic force in the
world. by using the great prestige OF
America. by boldly asserting Ameri-
can disinterestedness. commit the
victors beforehand 10 peace OF
Justice and right. founded upon a
now international cooperative or
ganizaton TO guarantee that peace.
His program was both clear and
simple; 1t rested upon historic
American principles: and st con-
v.ncc4 the world because IL set forth
r!-.n,y what men. In their innermost
sous. knew 10 be true Every one
remembers the building. OF that
ediace o. statecraft; the various ad-
dresses. the points" the acceptance
By nation after nation OF the Ameri
can program, and al length the
finale that led up 10 the armistice.
In one years time the President had
lifted the whole world to new