Final answer:
The problem that directly threatened President Wilson's point about 'open covenants of peace' was the secret alliances and plans already made by the allies, which contradicted his vision of transparent international diplomacy.
Step-by-step explanation:
When thinking about the challenges facing the peace process post-World War I, the problem that most directly threatened President Woodrow Wilson's first point of his Fourteen Points, which called for 'open covenants of peace, openly arrived at', was that the allies were already making secret alliances and plans. These clandestine arrangements stood in direct opposition to Wilson's vision of transparent diplomacy and cooperative international relations. Despite Germany's ongoing attacks on American shipping and the reluctance of other heads of state to meet with Wilson, it was the secret deals among allies that most undermined the principles of open, honest diplomacy that were fundamental to Wilson's envisaged peace process. Wilson's Fourteen Points advocated for free trade, freedom of the seas, the end to secret treaties, and the promotion of self-determination, all with the aim of establishing a lasting peace grounded in open diplomacy and justice. However, the strong desires of Allied leaders to impose harsh penalties on Germany and to secure their individual national interests led to a rejection of many of Wilson's ideas, and his insistence on the League of Nations became his main concession during peace negotiations.