1919 - Newspaper Snippet - The New York Times
Peace has broken out once again in Europe, as the belligerents of the Great War have come together in Paris to discuss the terms of the peace treaty. Yesterday was the first day of the conference. It was a tense and somber affair where a spirit of triumphalism of the allies is palpable in the halls of old French palaces where the leaders of the world’s great powers meet.
One thing is clear, the outcome is predetermined, Germany and the other central powers must pay. The guilt of the central powers is set as they started the war and they dragged the US into it by killing innocent Americans in the Atlantic.
It is however contested that guilt should be presumed. His Excellency Saionji Kinmochi, the Japanese diplomat argued that starting a peace conference with the presumption of guilt was akin to building “a house by the ceiling” down. Not a foundation for lasting peace. This is indeed a thought provoking matter, but could it also just be a ploy to see Japanese interests in the pacific favored?
Al Coholic, New York Times
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