New-York tribune., 1918-12-12
Germany to Go
To Peace Table
As a Criminal
Temper of Allies Is Such
That Her Punishment Will
Be What She Deserves
New York Tribune


PARIS, Dec. 11.-When will the
peace conference begin? What form
will it take:
These are the two questions all
Paris is speculating upon at present
and nobody, official or otherwise. to
put it bluntly, can give any definite
answer.
The whole thing is so big, the inter
csts at stake are so vast, that even
those who are most closely concerned
can scarcely realize the enormous i'm
portanco of the great international re-
union upon whose prospects the whole
worlds eyes are being centred more
and more closely every hour.
The German bull in his passion for
destruction has smashed up the world
china shop SO thoroughly that the task
before the congress is nothing more
or less than the reconstruction of the
whole world.
No previous peace conference was
ever faced with tenth part Of the
problems to be settled by the forth
coming gathering in Paris.
No DeGnite Programme
An enormous amount of preliminary
work, of course, already has been done.
Many persons here, indeed, go so far
as to say that for all practical pur-
poses the main lines of the peace
treaty were settled in London last
week
Careful inquiries here, however, in
the most responsible quarters indicate
that, although an undoubted step for
ward was taken by the Allied repre-
sentatives in London, nothing like any
tiled conclusions We're reached.
The same inquiries, moreover, con-
vinced The New York Tribune's cor
respondent that so far no definite pro-
gramme for the conference has been
fixed.
AT the present moment no single
party to the conference has any clear
idea when the conference will begin
or what form it will take. All the fac
tors are still in state of hux and are
likely to remain in this condition for
probably another week.
Aspirations Are Varied
The principal parties to the confer
ence are, of course, the French, Ital-
ians, British and Americans Each of
these has its own particular views and
aspirations. The work of the. present
moment is to bring the views and as.
plratlons Of each more OF less into
alignment with those of the three prin.
cipal partners and of the other AL
lies.
The interests of the latter though
vital in themselves, naturally are
more specially matters of detail The
burden of the work will fall on the
four big fellows" although the inter-
ests and sponsibilities of Italv are
of course, not of the Worldwide char
acter attaching to those Of the other
three great powers.
Ihe correspondent purposely has
ignored all mention of Germany and
her omplces-Austria- Rul-
garia and Turkey-for all information
ne has been able to gather tends to in
dicate that these powers will plav a
very small part in the peace confer
ence.
Must Come as Criminals
Their role will approximate verv
much that of prisoners before a crimi-
nal court who are called upon to stand
up and receive their sentences.
In all the welter Of doubt and inde-
clslon as to the procedure that is to
thing seems to be regarded as more or
less settled, and that is that the enemy
powers shall not be permitted to come
to the table as negotlators, but onlv
as criminals to be Judged
1T this be the temper of the Allies
we need no longer feel nervous that
the enemy will receive a lighter sem
tence than he deserves.
so tar as can be determined at pres
ent, the course likely to be taken in
regard TO the conference is as follows:
President Wilson will arrive here
next Saturday, the day after he lands
at Brest, and will be officially received
by President Poincare and the citv of
Parls IN the same way as the British
and Belgian sovereigns have been re-
celvcd in the last two weeks.
Very shortly after his arrival here
The President will depart on a visit TO
the invaded districts of the north.
where he will be able to see with his
own eyes what German ression has
meant to France. The length of this
tour has not yet been decided, but it
will certainly occupy three or four
days.
During his absence the various Allied
delegates will begin to assemble in
Paris, where it is probable series of
trictly private conferences will begin
N which Mr.. Wilson will take part on
his return from the battlefelds. The
object Of these conferences, which will
be quite independent of the peace CON
ference proper, will be to lay down
roaG lines upon which the business
If the congress shall proceed. These
oor0 ~ 'osa informal gatherings, it is