Mr. Lloyd George in Paris, who also declares that he
knows nothing about the matter."[89] _E pur si muove_. Mr. Lloyd George
knew nothing about President Wilson's determination to have the Covenant
inserted in the Peace Treaty, even after the announcement was published
to the world by the Havas Agency, and the confirmation given to pressmen
by Lord Robert Cecil. The system of reticence and concealment, coupled
with the indifference of this or that delegation to questions in which
it happened to take no special interest, led to these unseemly air-tight
compartments.

From this rank soil of secrecy, repression, and unveracity sprang
noxious weeds. False reports and mendacious insinuations were launched,
spread, and credited, impairing such prestige as the Conference still
enjoyed, while the fragmentary announcements ventured on now and again
by the delegates, in sheer self-defense, were summarily dismissed as
"eye-wash" for the public.

For a time the disharmony between words and deeds passed unnoticed by
the bulk of the masses, who were edified by the one and unacquainted
with the other. But gradually the lack of consistency in policy and of
manly straightforwardness and moral wholeness in method became apparent
to all and produced untoward consequences. Mr. Wilson, whose authority
and influence were supposed to be paramount, came in for the lion's
share of criticism, except in the Polish policy of the Conference, which
was traced to Mr. Lloyd George and his unofficial prompters. The
American press was the most censorious of all. One American journal
appearing in Paris gave utterance to the following comments on the
President's role:[90]

President Wilson is conscious of his power of persuasion. That
power enables him to say one thing, do another, describe the act as
conforming to the idea, and, with act and idea in exact
contradiction to each other, convince the people, not only that he
has been consistent throughout, but that his act cannot be altered
without peril to the nation and danger to the world.

We do not know which Mr. Wilson to follow--the Mr. Wilson who says
he will not do a thing or the Mr. Wilson who does that precise
thing.

A great many Americans have one fixed idea. That idea is that the
President is the only magnanimous, clear-visioned, broad-minded
statesman in the United States, or the entire world, for that
matter.

When