The Washington times., 1917-10-30
WAR PLANS TO
PRECEDE PEACE
TALK OF ALLIES
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Continued from First Page

conner should not be the medium for
announcements especially since the meet
is to be held on European soil.
Dispatches Significant.
The most significant statements,
therefore, are coming in the London
dispatches. The Associated Press ca :
BILE states that Bonar Laws state
ment was made because ''of a report
that the Russian workmen and SOL
diers delegates were sending a rep
resentative to the conference to dis
cuss war aims" l
1t will be recalled that the Petro.
grad council OF workmen' and SOL
diers, but not the provisional gov
ernment has been proclaiminE a pro-
gram OF war aims, and the refusal of
Great Britain to permit the forthcom-
ing conference to touch on those sub
tects may be due to a conviction that
Premier Kerensky has the situation
in Russia well in hand
Ever since the revolution occurred.
there has been unremitting pressure
exrtd upon tn entnt allie shy the Rus
sian rocialists 10 bring about a revis-
ion OF war aims.
Considerable negotiation has pro-
eeeded since then and the impression
here has ben that tn radical element
in Russia was hid at bay by a prom
:se OF a general harmonizati1n OF war
aims.
Peace Program Coming.
That such a declaration by the al.
lies of their peace program based
upon an interchange OF views is even.
tually going to be made cannot be
doubted but today's news indicates
clearly that Great Britain does not
think the time Is ripe for this discus
SION and that such action may con-
ceivabIy fall in with the German pro-
gram OF sowing dlssension among the
members of the entente.
The effort in Washington to main
tain a policy OF reticence about the
inter-allied conference is due to the
idea that until the allies have prop
erIy and effectively formulated their
military progrem-which is the i'm
mediate need-there Is no sound rea-
son for discussing war aims.
Emphasis on ships.
The emphasis here is on ships, food,
and men. How much shall the United
States and all the allies plan to use
Of each and what distribution of ef-
fort shall be made?
These are the large questions in
volved in planning the next year OF
warfare and the general basis on
which the allies hope to bring Ger
many to terms. II there is any talk
OF peace programs, it, will be in
formal and subordinate to the main
issue-the prosecution OF the war.
So far as the United States is con
cerned, il / snot known what the
American Representatives will pro
pose. For a time IL was declared that
the purpose OF the conference would
be military, but there are certain
non-military aspects that have to do
with a firm prosecution OF the war
through civilian and non-combatant
endeavor both in this country and in
Europe.
While no announcement has been
made in Washington. the general i'm
preston prevails that the American
delegates will go to the conference
with a free hand and that they will
deal with circumstances as they
arise.
The Government does not wish to
reveal the personnel OF the American
delegation nor to intimate the scope
of the instructions to be given them.
All this is being reserved until the
delegation shall have arrived safely
on the other side.