The New Zealand Tablet THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 1919. THE DEMORALISATION OF WILSON

New Zealand Tablet, 14 August 1919, Page 25

The New Zealand Tablet THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 1919. THE DEMORALISATION OF WILSON

f RESIDENT WILSON came into the arena •of the world-war like a great Christian Knight, sons peur et sans tache, to fight for no empty honors, to win no passing applause, but to vindicate truth and justice and peace for all mankind. And pre-' • ciselv because he proclaimed that no T - ' meaner ambitions inspired him he was supported by the democracy of the United States. No doubt the President believed in himself; still less doubt that the Americans believed in his speeches. irishmen and Germans and Yankees alike forgot their differences 'in order to i flock to the - stan-

dard of the • Stars and Stripes now for the first time : -in history I moving \ overseas* for a % righteous \ crusade ~;> '- The Irish believed in him: they hoped that by the blood with which they were going to seal "his pledges to free small nations from tyranny they were going to strike a blow for the old green isle of their fathers. The Germans believed in him when he vowed that America was going to war to : bring peace upon earth, not to save England or France any more than Germany. And therefore they too laid down the tools of peace and went to drill, and later to fight, side by side with the Irishmen. The Yankees knew it was no war of theirs, but when they were led to hope that here now was a splendid chance of winning for their own country undying fame as the protector of the weak and the scourge of despots they too buckled on the sword and went to fight on the old battlefields of old Europe. - * When General Smuts denounced the Peace Treaty we had all the evidence we required to prove that it was a failure. When the very Tory press declared that instead of being the pledge of universal, lasting peace it was the fertile cause of future wars, what doubt could there be that it was in no way in keeping with the terms on which Germany agreed to the armistice ? If further proof were wanted, we have it now. Many weeks have passed since a significant thing happened—a thing so significant that our press had no word at all to tell us of it. Nine members of the American Peace Commission sent in letters to the Secretary of the Commission placing on record their opposition to the Peace Treaty with Germany, as drafted. Here is the letter which one of them, as spokesman, addressed to President Wilson: —• > ' "My Dear Mr. President, —I have submitted today to the Secretary of State my resignation as assistant of the Department of State attached to the American Commission to negotiate peace. I was one of the millions who trusted confidently and implicitly your leadership, and believed you would take nothing less than a permanent peace based upon 'unselfish and unbiassed justice.' But our Government has consented now to deliver the suffering peoples of the world to new oppressions, subjections, and dismembermentsa new century of war. And I can convince myself no longer that effective labor for 'a new world order' is possible as a servant of this Government. Russiathe acid test of goodwill for me as for youhas not even been understood. The unjust decisions of the Conference in regard to Shantung, the Tyrol, Thrace, Hungary, East Prussia, Dantzic, and Saar Valley, and the abandonment of the principle of the freedom of the seas, make new international conflicts certain. It is my conviction that the present League of Nations will be powerless to prevent these wars, and that the United States will be involved in them by obligations; undertaken in the Covenant of the League and the special understanding with France. Therefore the duty of the Government of the United States to its own people and to mankind is to refuse to sign or ratify this unjust Treaty, to refuse to guarantee its settlements by entering- the League of Nations, to refuse to entangle the United States further by an understanding with France. That you are-personally opposed to most of the unjust settlements, and that you accepted them only under great pressure, is well known. Nevertheless, it is my conviction that if you had made your fight in the open instead of behind closed doors, you would have carried with you the public opinion of the world, which was. yours. You would have been- able to resist the pressure, and might have established that .' new international order based upon broad and universal principles of Right and Justice' of which you used, to speak, T am sorry von did not fight our fight to a finish, and that you had . so-little faith in the millions of men like myself in every; nation who ..had faith in you.-Very sincerely yours, William C. Bullitt." This letter testifies to- the h fact that n President Wilson was personally opposed to most of the 'imjast

settlements -of - the Treaty /■'. It also proves that he is not the strong, man and the great man for whom the armor he donned was made. He had not the courage to fight in the open instead of behind closed doors. H© did not fight to a finish and he betrayed the faith of the men who trusted him and, because they trusted him, died for right and justice. He fell in Paris from the level on which his pre-war speeches placed him to the level of a George or a Law or a Carson. He made his own of secret diplomacy which he vowed to destroy; he set his name to pacts of oppression and annexation which he had denounced; he broke faith with America andwhat is a worse thing for him—broke faith with himself by sacrificing his fourteen points which Were agreed upon as the basis of the Treaty. It is a hopeful thing that General Smuts had the courage to stand forth and denounce the terms it is a still more hopeful thing that nine men of the American Peace Commission turned their backs on the President and left it to the American people to judge between them. There is hope for the world in all that; there is even hope for Ireland in it. But where is the hope for the weakling and the renegade who will have to face the American people when they ask him where now are the ideals for which their blood was spilled, and where the victory they had won for democracy and humanity. There is one ray of consolation about the whole affair: the first session of the League of Nations will sit at Washington and there, not alone Wilson but also Georg©if he has the courage to go— Clemenceau will have to face the American .people whom they betrayed and sold for their mess of potage. And thus, Irishmen will note with satisfaction, the foundations for the future between America and England" are well and truly laid !