Arizona republican., 1917-04-19
The War Conference

The forthcoming conference at Washington will probably involve something more than consid- eTation of plans for Americas part in the war We assume that much the personnel of the chief conferees from abroad MT. Bafour representing Great Britain and M. Viviani of France Mir Bafour is minister of foreign affairs statesman but not warrior; M. vfviani is member of the French cabi- and former premier Neither of these gentlemen is a military expert MT Balfour the contrary implicated the Dardaneles muddle in which many other British statesmen and so comparatively few military involved
 It is much more likely that the matters which will be principally discussed the conference will be the aims of the and the terms of peace. Our part in the conflict is not yet quite clearly un derstood We do understand generally that are not engage in any "entanglng alliance" contrary to American tradition The president in his message congress urging the declaration of state of war appeared make it clear Great Britain and France that could enter into political alliance with them, though Germany had become common enemy. The president though, sought from congress pledge that America would leave nothing undone conquer the enemy.
 There another thing in the message that presented wholly new American attitude the decla ration that we could never have friend in the Hohenzolern autocracy and that fin the presence of organized power, always lying in wait accomplish, we know not what purpose, there be assured security for the democratic of the world
 We do not know what inspired that declaration; whether it had long the president, while he protesting against specific outrages against American rights whether it was a direct result of the Zimmerman negotiations with Mexico and Japan But at any rate it stated of independent of Germanys unrestricted submarine warfare It placed precisely the same ground bx.+lo not to the crushing and despoiling of Germany, and that disclamed by waiver of any claims for indemnity or territory but to the annihilaton of this mcnacing autOcracy. To that we seem to be bound and that point conference is apparently necessary.
 AS to our financial and other arrangements for the relief of the allies they have been already de- termned upon and announced, and therefore call for consideration in international conference. It is not popuarly understood the subjects of the conference be All other subjects poi- tica appear to have been eliminated and political conference looks only entangling alliance
 Even that may not be justly condemned. Wash ington wise patriot that he was could have fore seen century and 9 quarter ago, what obscured from our present day statesmen only by few short months. He could have understood how small the world was to become and how within week an at- tack launched in Europe could be carried to our shores We not, therefore bound by the injunction against entangling alliances 44a
 Our government would undoubtedly be supported if it should enter into but it would be sup ported in secret alliance such was the entente accord. of whose terms neither the British French nor Russian people aware at the outbreak of the war Any that may be at the forth coming conference unless it should involve military plans should be make known to the people. The war would have been periodically supported by the people of Great Britain at the beginning if they had known why they war.
 As we have said, among the matters before the conference will probably be terms peace with which we need hardly worry. We shall probably be asked to bind ourselves against separate peace the thing which has been the bugbear of entente from the beginning But declaration the president against the Hohenzoern autocracy binds us against that so long as it exists But should fall unless we enter into an agreement with the entente we would not be bound against peace any time with the people of Germany