Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-11-21
OPENING OF CONCLAVf
DEPENDS VIRTUALLY.
ON ENGLISH PREMIER
Conference VIII Be Middle OF
December If Lloyd-Ceorge
Can Leave England.
By Robert ]. Bender

(lnited Press staff correspondent
Washington, Nov. 21.--Convening of
the peace conference in France is now
virtually up to Lloyd-George.
The British election is December 2S.
If the premier feels be can leave Eng
land before that date, the peace con-
fernce should get under way by the
middle of December, it is said here. If
he cannot leave, however, until after
the elections, the conelave probably
wont begin until the end of December
or the first of January. President vii.
son will make his sailing arrangements
accordingly. Details of the president g
trip are near completion 1t is likely
Mrs. Wilson win be the only woman on
the journey the wives Of cabinet dele
gates going over later.
Expects TO Visit Italy
The newspaper correspondents will
not be taken on the president s vessel,
according to the plan now. Only the
date of the presidents s sailing--which
originally was planned for December
3, but which now may be delayed some
and the personnel of the. peace dele
gates remain to be announced.
The president expects to visit Eng
,and and Italy as well as France, his
friends say.
1t is now generally believed the pres
ident will make two trips to Europe
during the session, the first for its
opening and the second when the peace
agreement is ready for final signature.
I Determination of the order in which
great questions will be handled at the
peace table is now the object of dis
crssion preliminary to the conference.
1t is proposed to clear up first these
questions which will enable all bellig-
2rents and neutrals to resume as quick
ly as possible normal trade conditions.
Strong pressure from neutrals urging
lifting of the allied blockade is pour
ing into the present inter-allied ex-
changes.
Divided in Sections
1t was held possible today thar the
great treaty might be divided into two
or more sections, the first to cover
of immediate Importance, and
th others demanding longer and more
deiiD rate action to follow Under this
plan the treaty may be signed in sec
tions as completed.
This, it was held likely, here, would
tend to permit Germany to set forth :
with ships now bloekadcd within her
Forts and go after needed supplies.
In this connection, it was pointed
out that the sooner Germany resumes
her trade, the quicker she will have
money available for paying off the |
indemnities she must give
for the destruction she wrought in oc-
euped territory.
Freedom of Seas Decided
Owing to the situation II was held
likely that the league of nations and
It's eorroary, freedom of the seas,
would be among the first questions to
Be disposed of, Strength is added to
this belief by the fact that the prcsi-
dent will attend the opening confer
sncc and he is particularly interested
in these points.
Published reports that President Will
son, was going to Europe to settle diff
ferences which have arisen among the
allies on peace matters, were emphat-
sally denied by the state department.
The story was looked upon as detris
mental propaganda, and the depart
nent said positively there was no foun-
lation Of truth in the report
Jewish Interestes Brought in
A delegation of Rumanian Jews, in
by Louis Marshall, New York
awyer, asked Secretary of State Lam
'ing to safeguard Jewish interests IN
today,
The question will probably arise at
he peace conference.
The new Russian government is pre-
pairing an outline of its desires at the
oeacc table and is planning to send
representatives. The Russian situation
low offers probably the most vexing
problem in connection with the forth
coming conference.
However, leaders and armies of the
new government are making headway
n Russia. The bolsheviki regime has
been overssirown in Ukraine, opening
lp that channel to allied aid
Reports indicate that the whole boz
;hevik movement in Russia is rapidly
waning in power before the confidence
established by the new government