The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-10
GEORGE
Will TELL WAR
AIMS OF BRITISH
Ready To Respond to Popular
Demand for Statement.
Col. House Urged 1t in London
More Than Ten Days Ago.
WILSON'S DECLARATION CAUSE
Premier Expected To Address
Lower House ON Wednesday.
RumOr Allies Received Peace
Overtures Not Confirmed.
Ready To Respond to Popular
Demand for Statement
Col. House Urged 1t in London
More Than Ten Days Ago.
WILSON'S DECLARATION CAUSE

1o,,7,,,, nee 1O.-Premier Lloyd
C.eoraa will respond to the recently
Increasing popular demand for q ciedt,
exTiIicit definition and an up-to-eS'
calculation CT war aims &C.,
There is every reason to believe ne
win make such a statement Wlthlh the
TText few DAYS. 1t may come IN the
house Of commons on Wednesday
The real necessity OF such -
statement Of war aims has been maze
anoarentsto British Officialdom oY re
cent Developments More than ten
DAYS ago. Col E NJ House OF me
American mission urged on btlltSh
eratAsrnen President Wilson's view
4i,sr there should be a frank. free and
Joint repledg ing Of war aims by an the
allies as an important military meas
War Council Didn't Do II.
The Paris inter-allied council con-
cluded its first session without action
on this plan. Recent plans made
known today. however, would indicate
that LLOYD GEORGES speech may be the
first preliminary step toward Eng
lands formal approval of such plan
Necessity for a re-statement ~ war
aims has been emphasized by other de-
velopments. First the military, pO-
HtIcaI and economic situation has
changed vastly because of the Russian
dcbacIe
second, an erroneous impression has
Oeen created not only III Nrcl many Jul
in allied and neutral nations by the
letter Of the Marquis of Lansdowne-
Third. President Wilson's re-decla-
ration OF Americas altruism in the
war is a challenge to Americas allies
for a parallel pledge
Fourth may be listed as the serious
effects of persistent auu-British prop
uganda in the United States.
Premier Preparing Speech.
Ii is known that Lloyd George is
considering the character of his forth
coming pronouncement in more earn
est thought than he has given to any
previous utterance He has been TAX
ing a Weekend vacation trip. In the
quiet of his study at Walton Heath,
whore his vision has not been OBJ
secured 10y Il desk piled up with off
cial documents or interrupted by an
intending stream of callers, the Welsh
statesman has been turning the whole
subject over in his mind.
Americas urgings for a restatement
OF allied aims have not alone been
brought to the premier's attention by
Colonel House other we'll informed
known to carry weight with LloS-i
George, have urged it So have many
OF his political associates. An influ-
entail section of the British press has
been aligned behind the move
To Declare It's for Freedom.
1nGSE FORCES all agree Win the re-
cent speech OF J. H. Thomas, NJ P,
~ the Aldwych club in which he
urged "a clear simple statement of
war aims is urgently needed as show
ing c1nClusfvely that We are not seek
ing imperialistic objects; that we are
not seeking aggrandizement, but
rather the freedom of the people of
the world.
A bad cold forced Lloyd George to
postpone for a week his speech at
Gray's Inn at the lawyers dinner He
may now speak his mind on the wa=
aims situation before the house of
commons Wednesday,
Because of the postponement of
Lloyd Georges speech and that of
Winston Churchill-both of which had
been eagerly awaited as likely to out
line war aims-an unsupported peace
rumor spread here today. The runor
had it that the allies had received
overtures' from the central powers.
There was slender basis for the re-
ports and no official would confirm
them.