The midland journal., 1917-10-12
Col. HOUSE WILSON AID m PREP PAIRING
FOR INEVITABLE PEACE CONFERENCE
Presidents Unofficial Counselor Undertakes Unusual Task at Re-
quest of Chief Execuiye-Not Sign That Government
Expects Early End Of War. !.

Wilson, has assumed an unusual and
complex task in accepting the commits
sion of the president to gather infor-
nation which will be greatly needed
by the United States government
when it enters the peace conference
which will end the present great war.
President Wilson, in making this move,
was cognizant of the fact that for
nearly three years the European gov
ernments have been making similar
preparations for the inevitable peace
conference.
Colonel House already has begun to
carry out the wishes of the president.
As his chief assistant in the work he
has selected DR.. John H. Finley, New
York state commissioner of education,
who recently returned to this country
from Europe after making an exten-
sive investigation of conditions in sew
eral countries.
The selection of Doctor Finley is in
dicative of the sort of experts with
when Colonel House will confer. No
man or woman with preconceived
opinion which might tempt one to color
circumstances so as to prove the cor
rectness of a personal point of view
will be permitted to participate in
work where open-mindedness is a pre-
requisite to the arrival at conclusions.
that will enable the government to de-
| termine upon a correct, policy.
Emphasis is put upon the unalter-
able determination that neither pro-
fessional pacifists nor confirmed mill
| tarists can be in the slightest degree
useful in preparing statistics for gov
ernmental guidance, which must be
| without taint of bias.
In an interview Colonel House made
t plain that his appointment does not
Indicate any thought Of immediate
peace is now being entertained by the
United States government. He agrees
| with Lord Northcliffe in his message
| delivered before the American Bank
| ers' association in Atlantic City that
peace seems far off and America
should beware the trickery and treach-
cry of such propaganda. The truth is
| that this effort on the part of the
| United States to analyze war condi-
| tions and evolve plan of procedure
when hostilities end is a belated one,
| just as our military preparations
Jagged for period. But now it is
| full steam ahead and damn the tor
| pedoes" with our army and navy with
| not thought of let-up in mind, so
| from now on there will be urgent
prosecution of search for material, his
49, 4,
world war. This quest of data will
keep pace with an energetic proSecu-
| ZION of the contest, but will not halt it
In any way. To pause now in any
phase of belligerent endeavor might
make the prospect of peace even more
remote than it seems at present.
No Sign of Early Peace.
The government sees nothing what
ever to indicate the early approach Of
peace, nor will Colonel House have
anything to do with ascertaining the
point of view of either the Entente
Selligerents or the central powers, or
possible terms upon the basis of which
they might be willing to enter into ne
gatiations. He will remain in the Unit
ed States. 1t is possible that the state
department will be able to afford him
aid in the work he has undertaken,
but he will not work with the depart
ment nor in diplomatic capacity, for
NAL or informal. He will have no title
0nd will receive no salary.
The appointment of Colonel House
affords another illustration of the ex-
Of ha Tr,ik
in world affairs. Heretofore the state
department has been equipped with
virtually all the information that was
necessary to the solution of interna-
tional problems in which the United
States has taken direct interest. The
war has brought new problems and
projected this country into field of
international activity which it has sell
dom entered before.
The questions which will come be-
fore the peace conference at the end
of the war will be multitudinous. The
freedom of the seas, the naturalization
of seaways, the political homeogeneity
of peoples who claim the right of self
government and the disposition of ter
ritorial possessions involving economic,
historical and political questions, will
be some of the many subjects to
be considered, and the information
upon which conclusions may be based
and policies decided must be at hand.
With exclusive European problems,
1t is not expected that the representa-
tives of the United States at the peace
council will be concerned. But in the
disposition of general questions, relat-
ing to economic intercourse and po-
litical development which will affect |
virtually all the nations of the world,
the United States will have potent |