"Paris
      1919"
      Still
      more
      than
      relevant
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      On
      the
      afternoon
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Friday,
      October
      17th,
      Dr.
     
     
      Margaret
      MacMillan
      spoke
      to
      a
     
     
      packed
      house
      in
      the
      Duffy
     
     
      Amphitheater
      as
      part
      of
      the
     
     
      Frank
      MacKenna
      lecture
      series.
     
     
      Her
      talk
      was
      on
      the
      material
     
     
      covered
      in
      her
      newest
      and
      best-
     
     
      selling
      book,
      Paris
      1919,
      which
     
     
      covers
      the
      six-month
      conference
     
     
      held
      in
      Paris
      at
      the
      end
      of
      the
     
     
      First
      World
      War.
      The
     
     
      conference's
      purpose
      was
      to
     
     
      determine
      what
      the
      peace
      terms
     
     
      would
      be,
      and
      the
      effects
      they
     
     
      would
      have
      on
      the
      world.
      Dr.
     
     
      MacMillan,
      a
      professor
      of
      histo-
     
     
      ry
      at
      the
      University
      of
      Toronto.
     
     
      and
      the
      current
      provost
      of
     
     
      Trinity
      College,
      gave
      an
      animat-
     
     
      ed
      and
      riveting
      lecture
      onthe
      —
     
     
      subject.
      In
      addition,
      she
      dis-
     
     
      cussed
      some
      of
      the
      background
     
     
      of
      the
      writing
      of
      the
      book.
     
    

    
     
      The
      work
      has
      won
      such
     
     
      literary
      awards
      as
      the
      Samuel.
     
     
      Johnson
      Prize,
      the
      PEN
      Hessell
     
     
      Tiltman
      prize,
      and
      the
      Duff
     
     
      Cooper
      Prize,
      and
      in
      addition
     
     
      was
      a
      finalist
      for
      the
     
     
      Westminster
      Medal
      in
      Military
     
     
      Literature.
      Aside
      from
      the
      excel-
     
     
      lent
      research
      and
      informative
     
     
      text,
      one
      of
      the
      book's
      biggest
     
     
      strengths
      is
      that
      it's
      a
      very
      excit-
     
     
      ing
      and
      fast-paced
      read
      in
      a
     
     
      genre
      that
      is
      unfortunately
     
     
      stereotyped
      as
      being
      dry
      and
     
     
      unappealing
      to
      those
      who
      aren't
     
     
      history
      buffs.
     
    

    
     
      During
      the
      lecture,
      Dr.
     
     
      MacMillan
      said
      that,
      when
      she
     
     
      first
      started
      to
      think
      about
      the
     
     
      topic,
      it
      didn't
      generate
      much
     
     
      interest
      in
      a
      world
      that
      was
      still
     
     
      caught
      in
      the
      final
      years
      of
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Cold
      War.
      However,
      with
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -end
      of
      that
      period
      of
      high
      ten-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      sion,
      problems
      and
      situations
     
     
      that
      had
      for
      years
      been
      "frozen"
     
     
      were
      suddenly
      once
      again
      active
     
     
      and
      prevalent.
      Although
      at
      first
     
     
      it
      would
      appear
      that
      such
      con-
     
     
      temporary
      situations
      as
      the
     
     
      trouble
      in
      Bosnia
      over
      the
      last
     
     
      few
      years
      aren't
      related
      to
      any-
     
     
      thing
      in
      the
      past,
      Dr.
      MacMillan
     
     
      pointed
      out
      that
      historical
     
     
      examination
      reveals
      that
      many
     
     
      of
      the
      issues
      can
      be
      traced
      back
     
     
      to
      the
      problems
      and
      results
      of
     
     
      the
      1919
      conference.
     
    

    
     
      She
      pointed
      out
      her
     
     
      belief
      that
      history
      does
      not
     
     
      repeat
      itself
      exactly,
      but
      rather
     
     
      things
      are
      connected
      and
      histor-
     
     
      ical
      "echoes"
      exist.
     
    

    
     
      I
      had
      the
      pleasure
      of
      sit-.
     
     
      ting
      down
      with
      Dr.
      MacMillan
     
     
      following
      her
      talk
      and
      chatting
     
     
      with
      her
      about
      some
      of
      the
     
     
      issues
      in
      the
      book
      and
      her
     
     
      thoughts
      on
      some
      of
      the
      world
     
     
      problems
      that
      exist
      today.
      In
     
     
      regard
      to
      the
      belief
      of
      the
      lead-
     
     
      ers
      of
      the
      Paris
      conference
      that
     
     
      they
      could
      change
      the
      world,
     
     
      Dr.
      MacMillan
      feels
      that,
      while
     
     
      actual
      hubris
      may
      not
      have
      been
     
     
      a
      factor,
      they
      "may
      have
      gotten
     
     
      carried
      away
      with
      their
      own
     
     
      power".
     
    

    
     
      An
      example
      that
      she
     
     
      points
      out
      is
      that
      of
      Woodrow
     
     
      Wilson,
      the
      president
      of
      the
     
     
      United
      States
      at
      the
      time,
      who
     
     
      thought,
      with
      some
      degree
      of
     
     
      arrogance,
      that
      he
      understood
     
     
      the
      ordinary
      people
      and
      spoke
     
     
      for
      them.
      However,
      she
      notes
     
     
      that
      such
      a
      feeling
      of
      power
     
     
      among
      the
      leaders
      was
      difficult
     
    
   
   
    
     
      to
      avoid,
      "because
      they
      were
     
    
   
   
    
     
      surrounded
      by
      people
      who
     
     
      thought
      they
      [the
      leaders]
      were
     
     
      powerful
      and
      important”.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Although
      she
      does
      not
     
     
      think
      that
      history
      repeats
      itself,
     
     
      it
      "offers
      you
      warning
      signs".
     
     
      She
      does
      feel
      that
      history
      offers
     
     
      lessons
      that
      should
      be
      consid-
     
     
      ered
      when
      dealing
      with
      certain
     
     
      circumstances
      such
      as
      the
      inva-
     
     
      sions
      of
      other
      countries
      or
      the
     
     
      rise
      of
      a
      "passionate
      force"
      such
     
     
      as
      nationalism
      or
      religious
      fun-
     
     
      damentalism.
      To
      her,
      history
     
     
      "teaches
      you
      to
      be
      careful,
      to
      be
     
     
      wary
      and
      to
      ask
      questions”,
      and
     
     
      that
      is
      where
      it
      most
      comes
      in
     
     
      handy.
     
    

    
     
      If
      you
      don't
      know
      histo-
     
     
      ry,
      She
      reasons,
      "you're
      going
      to
     
     
      blunder,
      and
      make
      mistakes".
     
     
      In
      the
      case
      of
      the
      US-led
      inva-
     
     
      sion
      of
      Iraq,
      she
      points
      out
      that
     
     
      if
      the
      administration
      had
      taken
     
     
      the
      time
      to
      do
      their
      research
     
     
      rather
      than
      just
      assuming
      they
     
     
      knew
      enough
      and
      that
      they
     
     
      would
      be
      welcomed,
      "history
     
     
      might
      have
      told
      them
      everybody
     
     
      wasn't
      going
      to
      be
      glad
      to
      see
     
     
      them".
      History
      may
      not
      let
      one
     
     
      know
      everything,
      she
      says,
      but
     
    
   
   
    
     
      not
      paying
      attention
      to
      it
      "is
      like
     
    
   
   
    
     
      putting
      one
      hand
      over
      one
      eye;
     
     
      you're
      halving
      your
      possible
     
     
      vision".
     
     
      ‘One
      of
      the
      strongest
     
     
      points
      she
      made
      was
      that
      "peo-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ple
      use
      and
      abuse
      history
      con-
     
     
      stantly".
      With
      the
      Paris
      Peace
     
     
      conference,
      all
      different
      sorts
      of
     
     
      national
      groups
      appeared
      to
     
     
      make
      demands,
      but
      "chose
      their
     
     
      histories
      very
      selectively"
      and
     
     
      made
      all
      kinds
      of
      "very
      dubious
     
     
      historical
      claims".
      She
      says
      that,
     
     
      "history
      is
      about
      choosing
      what
     
     
      you
      put
      in
      and
      what
      you
      leave
     
     
      out"
      and
      that
      this
      still
      happens
     
     
      all
      the
      time,
      not
      only
      in
      hot
     
     
      spots
      such
      as
      the
      Middle
      East,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ~
      but
      also
      in
      Canada.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I'd
      like
      to
      thank
      Dr.
     
     
      MacMillan
      for
      her
      thoughts
      and
     
     
      time,
      and
      in
      addition
      thank
      all
     
     
      the
      UPEI
      faculty
      and
      staff
      who
     
     
      made
      the
      interview
      possible.
     
     
      During
      our
      brief
      talk,
      Dr.
     
     
      MacMillan
      gave
      a
      very
      good
     
     
      sense
      of
      not
      only
      the
      book's
     
     
      subject
      matter,
      but
      also
      why
      the
     
     
      topic
      is
      still
      quite
      relevant
      to
      the
     
     
      present
      day.
      Perhaps
      that
      is
      the
     
     
      most
      important
      aspect
      of
      the
     
     
      work,
      particularly
      given
      what
      is
     
     
      going
      on
      around
      the
      world
      this
     
     
      very
      minute.
     
    

    
     
      All
      in
      all,
      it
      was
      a
      very
     
     
      enlightening
      and
      entertaining
     
     
      experience.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      English
      Society
      Coffee
      House
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      English
      Society
      will
      be
      hosting
      a
      Coffee
      House
     
     
      Monday,
      Nov.
      10
      at
      Beanz
      Espresso
      Bar,
      38
      University
     
     
      Ave.
      Doors
      open
      at
      7
      p.m.
      Admission
      is
      free
      however
     
     
      there
      will
      be
      a
      donation
      box
      provided
      at
      the
      door.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Members
      of
      UPEI's
      English
      Faculty
      will
      read
      from
      their
     
     
      poetry
      and
      prose
      along
      with
      other
      distinguished
      guests
     
     
      and
      musical
      accompaniment.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -:page
      [5]
      October
      29,
      2003:.