Life, 1918-12-26 · page 8 of 35
Life — December 26, 1918 — page 8: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page features a satirical article titled "From LIFE'S Special Peace Correspondent" by J. Bounder Ballingford, describing diplomatic negotiations in Paris following World War I. The accompanying cartoon depicts three men in suits examining what appears to be a dog or similar creature, captioned "THE DOG YOU'VE JUST BEEN BRAGGING ABOUT." The image suggests mockery of inflated claims—likely referencing how negotiators or political figures exaggerate their accomplishments or leverage in peace talks. The article discusses European division, the Bolshevik question, and maintaining national reputation during delicate negotiations. The satirical tone criticizes how diplomats handle sensitive matters while managing competing interests, suggesting they overstate their achievements to domestic audiences while making uncomfortable compromises behind closed doors.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“LIFE: From LIFE’S Special Peace Correspondent cial Creel dispatch) — When I decided to leave the United States to shift for itself it was much against the wishes of my friends. 1 lized fully that the country wou without the benefit of my Washing- ly gossip, and things might go But Europe has got to be straightened out once and for all The Peace delegates are all They were waiting for me when I ar- I gave them a friendly little here. rived talk this morning on the urgent neces- sity of keeping quiet while I was try- to them. Clemen- ng make things clear They promised to be good. to ceaut said to me: * Monsieur, what would we do with- out you?” T told him not to worry. and I are both fairly He differed with me at first in a few details, but when Ie saw T Splendid, och I well in accord, vouldn't yield he gave in ctable chap, Foch ervous when we met, T put him at his ease almost at once by saying that even if the United States had won the war, we newspaper men weren't bragging about it. He thanked me. There are several ways of dividing up Europe. but T haven't decided which corge that was natural. THE DOG YOU'VE JUST BEEN It will no doubt come to My real plans must, This time I like best. me in a day or so. of course, be kept in the dark. idea of publishing the truth at th it happens must he discouraged. Mums the word. Later.—I am glad to say that I have arranged the whole affair, and will re- turn with the satisfaction of knowing that I have done my duty for the world at large, even if the stock market has suffered during my absence and Gom- pers has had to wait a couple of weeks or so before getting his customary r: in pay. Money isn’t everything. When I announced my plan, which included the freedom the for Great Britain and us—with certain inev conditions, such as Great Britain giv- of sea ing up all oil claims in Mexico, dividing rmany’s fleet up with us, joint super- they all gathered around me and protested! They were decent about it, however Lloyd George did, I mutter something about Great Bri having stood between us and and how @ell they had fought, sacrifices they had made, and how, pos- sibly, we had been a trifle slow in com- ing in—but I must say for him that he They ison of the colonial system, ete believe, n’s fleet yermany nd the tried to be goo aed. were (nil | Dress, BRAGGING ABOUT wee SSO i all really quite nervous about some my terms, I listened calmly, of cours I saw that our national reputation ust be sustained. Or with good manners those f their ideals are slight! On the whole, I think must have chaps, even atience helow mine. + treated them pretty well, though I \ obliged to remind them once or twic that there was a limit to all things. wiil say this for them, that they wer persistent. 1 not but could admir them for that. But when they saw | was firm there was, of course, nothing clse to do but yield So ways kee Creel, al alive to the needs of ot home people, tells me that it wouldn' be advisable to let our voters know too much about what I have done. But will say this: To a whisker the Bolshe viki will practically all be ‘sent over to the States in Schwab's s all been arranged. transports, te be kept under my journalistic eye. for Europe in general, 1 will tell Ia in a couple of ye general distribution of rac clans. But for the present, as Creel vises, mum's the word! J. Bouxprr Battincroro.