davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1918-11-17
lhe Shades of Theirs and Bismarck the Peace Conference

ahead without waiting for the English peo-
pie to confirm Lloyd Georges mandate. The
internal situation or Germany may make
this necessary.
AS to where the conference will meet:
The probabilities are in favor of Versailles
or Lucernc, and at the present moment
moro in favor of Versailles than Lucerne.
If precedent were followed, a neutral
country would be chosen in order that the
negotiatofs might not be under the imme-
diatc bellicose influence of either bcllie-
erent or group of belligerents. But here,
again, there is the great precedent Of the
Napoleonic wars, when the treaty of peace
was negotiated in Paris, the capital OF
one Of tho bclligerent nations, and elaborated
in Vienna, the capital of another. More
over IN this war there is no neutral coun-
try that has not come moro or less under
the influence of one side or the other and
generally there has been marked prefer
ence IN favor of one side.
Whatever meeting place is chosen must
New-York tribune., 1918-11-17

have ample hotel accommodations, for it
is estimated that the total of the delegates
and assistants with their secretaries, clerks,
unofficial advisers, families and camp fol-
lowers will reach more than 5000, while
there are still the sightseers to be reckoned
with. There arc twenty yeight belligerent
nations to sit around the peace table, and
there arc few among the ncutrals who have
not an equal interest in many of the prob
lens to be settled at the conference. To be
counted, also, as of almost equal impor-
tance with the actual beligerents are the
peoples who have been promised the right
OF self lf-detcrmination-the Czecho~Slovaks
the Jugo -Slavs, the Poles, the Firms, the
Lithuanians, the Esthonians, and all the
minor countries into which Russia has
been or may be broken up. One cannot
promise them the right to settle their fu-
turc in their own way and exclude them
from the Peace Conference that will be
largely concerned with doing lust that
thing
New-York tribune., 1918-11-17
THE President as
u An Onlooker

There is much talk that the Preside
Will cross the ocean for the conferers
but even If he should do so it is not liksi
that he would be working member Of tts
conference or would remain for more thu,
brief time. He would probably stay Oaly
long enough to impress his views on wis
hc considered the most important subject.
to be discussed and leave the burden o.
the work to the delegates ne had chosen
The delegations of the Allies will b.
headed by the premiers of the respective
countries-Lloyd George for England Gle
menceau for France and Orlando for Italy
Prince Lvoff, who has just arrived in thE
country from Russia as the Representative
Of the Omsk government, is expected tt
head the Russian delegation. BolsheyiE
representatives will not be admitted
1t is expected that the German delegs
tion will be exclusively Socialist and the
professional diplomats will be discarded
by them. Philip Scheidemann is suggested
as the chief, with Dr. David and HUG
Haase as two of his colleagues 1t is no'
believed probable that Liebnecht will be
included in the German delegation, as .h
"Spartacus" group has again ceased 10 b
important. If d professional diplon'
should be considered advisable as part 6
the German delegation he would probsb'
be Won Kuhlmann or Prince LichnOvsH
with opinion tending toward the former
New-York tribune., 1918-11-17

1t is not hopeful.
The league Of nations may pron.
solution. President Wilson is tho @s
for. the plan; Lloyd George has ~, s,aso'
positively for it. Germany has somSss Sss's'se
it an escape from the worst cor.o N
of defeat. It is an idea shat No. sA'as'
hold on the imagination of the wo~,s ,NA'n
has aroused at the same time ~. sa'
splendid enthusiasm and the moe. @0S
opposition. On the one hand is .:'s s4'
of world peace and universal dissr,n '''Vs
and on the other spectacle Of bo,s's ,.s'Asn' 81
aster and the loss of all individual;sr,n u''
Already the two conceptions have c,..,
violently, but somewhere betwoa, .au'' m
lies workable scheme that will sa,..', O"
two problems of disarmament and g.. 'ue
of the seas. Will the Peace Copfsrss. s'.a
find it or will the world 90 on r''"'e ~ ="
weary effort to adjust tho balance oi nan.'A. WY
1t is assumed that the delevs,o. 8.
this country to the conference will bo S4 s'
President Wilson will appoint them ,e...,. :.
ing TO his single judgment. Colone, y,
House will be one of them He b.0 /.
the Presidents most intimate fuora ~,
adviser, and has already represented L.
at the two most important meetings - -
Versailles Conference
The colonel himself, . is said b.,
pressed the wish that he shall be IL. -
official adviser of the delegation.
Secretary Lansing will almost cer,..
be member of the delegation. H. h.
had long and varied experience IN d,,,.
matte affairs. and has been at thc>hs,a >,
the State Department during the mast >,
acting period of the war.
Elihu Root will probably go. It would b,
in accord with precedent, and there !, M
man in this country who has had q wasr
experience in public and international ),
fairs.
Justice Brandeis is also talked Of cbeav
because Of his sympathy with advancs5
thought and the Presidents known friend.
ship for him.
This is as far as opinion has erystai,sd
on who may be the American delegates n
the Peace Conference. 1t seems, however
that if there is to be u distinctly labor
delegate, Samuel Gompers will be the ma,
New-York tribune., 1918-11-17
Eorce Did
Il the Work

Under the heavy hammer strokes of
Foch the temper of the German people
changed rapidly. They saw all their hopes
OF victory, of a peace even halfway favor
able to Germany, dashed to the ground.
While the German lines were crumblnc IN
France and Belgium, other developments
at nome were preparing the ground to give
political effect to The military reverses
The food situation had grown more dis
treSsing than ever, and at the same time
the Junkers were doing the suffrage bill
to death in tho Prussian House Of Lords
This latter spectacle was peculiarly en-.
bitterng to the Socialists and all the lib
New-York tribune., 1918-11-17
ems of the Peace Conference Loom on the Horizo
A League of Nations, Disarmament
and Freedom of the Seas Are
the Great Problems

Elementary precaution requires that the
Peace Conference which is to settle the
fortunes of the world for decades, If not
for centuries, shall not deliberate in the
atmosphere of sophomore reformers suffer
ing from acute idealistic dementia Of the
homicidal type.
One can feel fairly confident of the
mental atmosphere at Versailles, even
though Jean Longuet, Philip Snowdcn and
Ramsay Macdonald do their worst; one
has the precedent OF the Treaty Of Paris,
and one has the ample hotel a. ommoda-
tions of Paris near at hand
What will be the most formidable sub
jccts for discussion?
Disarmament.
Freedom of the seas.
The League of Nations.
There will be other subjects vital to the
peace Of the world, but around these three
will revolve the debates that will be the
most acrimonious, if one can use that word
in connection with a peace conference,
and the most likely to divide the conference
into hostile camps. Here will lie the
possibility of Germany separating the Allies
and securing unexpected and undcserved
benefits for herself.
New-York tribune., 1918-11-17
THE -Long-Delayed
l. Parliamentary Election

The natural term of the English Parlia-
ment ended soon after the war began and
in the ordinary course of events there
would have been many changes in the
House Of Commons in 1915. But on account
Of the war the life of the old Parliament
was prolonged by consent and only bye
elections resulting from the death or resig-
nations of members were held. A conse-
quence of this has been that every time
there has been dissatisfaction with the
course of the government there has been
demand for an appeal to the country and
an election.
This autumn, with Germany we'll on
the road to defeat and the result no longer
in doubt, Lloyd George determined on an
election to be held toward the end of the
year. The very ones who had been so long
and insistently demanding an election then
became the most strenuous objectors. They
said he sought to take advantage of the
popularity victory would naturally bring
him to fasten himself on the country for
another long period.
The Premier, however, is character
istically disregarding the objectors and is
determined that there shall be no doubt
about his being the choice of the country
to make peace, for he said on November II:
cone Of the principal issues at the forth
coming general election will be the nature
Of the peace settlement. 1t will mean tho
settlement of the world
"The mandate of this government at the
forthcoming election will mean that the
British delegation to the peace conference
will be in favor Of just peace"
There seems to be no mistaking the
meaning of the last sentence. The appoint
ment of the British delegation must wait
on the election. And the registry is
not vet compiled. There are millions Of
women to be enrolled to cast their first
votes, while after the polling the voter
will have to be counted and another two
weeks is estimated for that.
If this Interpretation is correct, the Peace
Conference cannot convene before the first
Of the year at the earliest. One must
hedge. however 1t is always possible that
the other belligcrents may insist on going
New-York tribune., 1918-11-17
The Dramatic Collapse OF Germany in Brief ~

selves or Of their speeches in the Reichs-
tag will not subscribe to that Judgment
They tried to prevent the war, but they
failed. Once the war had broken out, they
decided to support it-as war of defence
The party leaders rejected all annexations
proposed by the worshippers of military
power. They sharply criticised many
times the aggressions of the military au-
thorities in the conduct of the censorship
and the general administration of martial
law. At the same time they were pushing
their demand for democratic suffrage in
Prussia.
1t was owing to this Socialist insistence
that the Kaiser finally issued his decree at
Easter, 1917, promising liberal reforms, and
that later, in July, he issued further de-
cree directing the Chancellor to prepare
a bill undermining the antequated prus-
sian suffrage system
New-York tribune., 1918-11-17

be the most formidable subjects
for discussion? Who will be the
delegates?
These are questions that as yet can only
be subjects of speculation, but they arc
oe such wide and general interest that
speculation on them is not only permissible
but almost obligatory. Indeed, there are
few persons who not consciously or
unconsciously indulging in speculation on
them, and if one may judge from the
scraps of conversation one ovcrhcars whcr-
ever men gather together, most of the
speculation is conscious and intentional.
AS to when the conference will assemble:
1t is matter of choice for the Allies.
There is no mention of peace conference
within which the conference must be held.
The only provision that applies to this
matter is the first sentence OF Article 81.
"The duration of the armisticc is to be
thirty days, with option to extend" This
permits the Allies by extending the armis-
tice to set the opening Of the Peace Con-
ference for any date as far in the future
as may suit them. The limitations are
those Of common sense, which will lead to
the earliest possible settling of the affairs
Of the world. There are prccedents both
for and against this way of leaving the
question of the date of the Peace Confer
and Denmark in 1S63-'64 the armistce was
signed on July ~, 1864, and provided that
peace should be signed by September Is.
In the German-Austrian war Of 1866 the
armistice signed July 20 was followed
Prague and peace was signed August %.
More important than either of these is
the Franco-Prussian war of 1S70~T1. In
that war the armisticc signed on January
%, 1871, distinctly provided that peace
negotiations should be opened at Brussels
within a month, thus naming both time
and place. The same method was followed
in the Spanish American war in 1893. That
war virtually ended with the surrender of
General Torral in July. Immediately after
ward Spain made overtures for peace
through the French Ambassador at Wash
ington and the peace protocol was signed
on August II, providing that the Peace
Conference should be opened in Paris not
later than October l.
New-York tribune., 1918-11-17
WIFI the League
w Be Safe

The world is weary Of existence as an
armed camp. But total disarmament can
not precedc the millennium The aues-
ton is how far it can go with safety to
the league Of nations, with safety to the
individual nations, and with due regard
to proper control of Germany And the
question is, also, how far the mlitarists-
for militarism is not dead in any country
of the worldwill allow 1t to go.
Here in America we are already planning
our army for the future on the basis of
universal military training and we are
planning a greatly enlarged rather than a
diminished navy. That does not look as
though our statesmen thought the mil
lennium anywhere near at hand or even
that 1t had been brought appreciabIy nearer
By this war. Boshevik Russia, of course.
declared for immediate disarmament, but
as Immediately began to organize "Red"
army. No other country has so far given
serious consideration to the question In
fact, all the world is in position of very
watchful waiting. 1t may be safely as
sumed that practically every one would
prefer the greatest possible measure Of
disarmament, with the consequent tighten
ANe W 'iio eAe"ie"oous ouloen or taxation
the world will have to endure for many
years at the best. But there is room for
wide differences Of opinion on how far the
disbanding Of armies may safely 60, and
one may be sure that the varying opinions
will be very forcibly expressed around the
green table.
The freedom of the seas has already been
discussed once in the Allied Conference
at Versailles which settled the terms of
the armistice and such diverging views
developed that it had to be very distinctly
and positively left over for later date.
This means that each side was tenacious
Of its views to the point of rupture and
that no common ground could be found,
that the only possible compromise was a
deferring Of the discussion.
New-York tribune., 1918-11-17
D adicals Took
AA a Hand

After the brief chancellorship of Mi
chaelis the Socialists helped in taking the
first step toward parliamentary govern
ment. In the first week Of November. 1917.
the government was reconstructed, with
Won Hcrtling as Chancellor. The Socialists
were not yet willing. indeed, to accept
Cabinet positions; but they agreed to
Hertlings appointment and accepted his
proposed policies.
Meanwhile the forces OF reaction had not
been idle. The Junkcrs and their satcl-
litcs were vigorously bcstirring Themselves
TO beat back the rising tide of democracy
and socialism. To counteract the peace
resolution they had organized the Father
land party under the lead Of Won Tirpitz
and by means OF tremendous agitation
New-York tribune., 1918-11-17
Socialists
l. Stepped Out

The Socialists answered his rejection
with quick and firm action; they had their
members of the Cabinet resign--a stsp
that was bound to prove fatal to the gov
ernment. While all this was going on the
revolutionary movement was making great
progress The vocabulary Of revolutionary
Russia came into. vogue; there we're Work
mems and Soldiers Councils. and these
quickly took possession of power in the
leading cities. Not only the navy but the
army was deserting the sinking ship of
New-York tribune., 1918-11-17
By William c. Dreher

"HE hurly-burly of events in Ger
many is astounding. Events of
-A tremendous import have followed
each other with rushing impetus
imperial Germany PROSTATE, the Kaiser de-
throned and the whole Hohenzollern dynas-
ty cast into the limbo Of defunct royalty, a
Socialist editor holding the reins of power
at Berlin and preparing to lay the founda-
tions for democratic republic-surely
there is material enough crowded into one
brief week to keep historians busy for CEN
turies to come.
But already some of the chief points in
these tremendous developments stand out
clear, and conclusions about them now can
only be confirmed by the Investigations
Of historians, however remote. The first
point is that the Hohenzollern idol was de-
snolished by the battering ram Of social
ism; the second, that the ground on which
the idol stood had already been under
mined by President Wilson's declaration
that no peace treaty signed by Hohen-
zollern would be accepted by the powers
warning against Germany; the third, that
the blows Of Foch shattered the vast mil
itary machine that supported the idol; and
the last, that the armisticc terms signalled
the moment for the batsering ram to de-
liver It's deadly blows
New-York tribune., 1918-11-17
4 n Issue to
"A Raise Dangers

1t looks like the opening for the Ger
man wedge. England knows that control
OF the seas is the life spirit of the British
Empire. President Wilson is obstinate
Germany knows that British control OF the
seas killed the German dream of world
domination.
New-York tribune., 1918-11-17

they aroused and ccmented the old prus-
sian spirit for the forthcoming fight. Thus
the suffrage reform bills were defeated
over and over again. while Hcrtling kept
protesting that he would force them
through at all costs.
New-York tribune., 1918-11-17

militarism and kaiserism. Finally Will'
had to yield; on the 9th his abdicstion VI
announced. At the same time Prince 10
announced that he had turned over ~
government to Friedrich Ebert, VINO
chairman of the Socialist caucus Of 70
Reich stag.
New-York tribune., 1918-11-17
CociaIist Pressure
~ Brought Reforms

The~course of the Socialists in this Ger
man revolution must seem surprising to
persons who had come TO regard them as
the subgcryicnt tools Of the Junkers. "
has been the fashion 10 speak Of them as
having sold Themselves 10 the Kaiser Close
observers of the SoclAlist leaders them.
New-York tribune., 1918-11-17
By Fred B. Pitncy

WV yHERE and when will the Peace
XA/ Conference be held? What will
be the most formidable subjects
New-York tribune., 1918-11-17

HE hurlyburly of events in Ger
many is astounding. Events of
II tremendous import have followed
The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1918-03-28

The New York jobber took for his
,wn, in this case, profit of 80 cents
per barrel. He sold part Of this ship
ment to a retail merchant.
This merchant did small business
and was not licensed, but even here
was another social check. For the
retail merchants Of the large cities
and those of many small cities and
towns find each morning and after.
noon In the daily papers a price list
for -four and other commodities which
are considered fair by the Federal
Food Administrator for their State.
These prices are usually arrived at
through the machinery of the whole
salers' and the retailers organizations.
The retailer also discovered that the
jobber who sold him this -four was
keenly interested in the prices paid by
the consumer For the Food Admins.
tration has discovered an indirect
The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1918-03-28

half that Of year ago, or 100000, 200
bushels less. II was nothing short Of
master strategy.
The total number Of bushels pur-
chased by the Grain Corporation from
the time II commenced activities to
February is 97,276,14559. Arranged
by months, the purchases In bushels
we're: September, 7,S41, 209.20; Octo-
her, 1850, 648.69; November, 30,920,-
074.28; December, 21,456, 249.O8. and
January l7.698988.08.
During July and August our -four
exports were about the same as in the
same two months Of 1916; but in Sep
TENDER, October, and November, the
expectation was 90 per cent larger
than year ago, 80 the Grain Cor.
poration has discharged our obliga.
lions to the aiiie, and restored our
flour reserves, wSdeh is the larger n.
pect Of the quest5eA.
The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1918-03-28


About the same time our cooperative
elevator manager had listed a shipment
with his terminal representatives.
highly reputable commission Arm, also
under Grain Corporation license. This
firm caught wind of the Georgia order
and secured permission to sell the Mis-
souri, wheat. The second bushel was
among those poured into a car and
hustled along to Its destination. This
shipment did not pass through any
terminal market. II moved straight
to Atlanta, where II went between the
rollers of the mill.
Controlling the Jobber by License.
Now, the flour which came from our
second bushel of wheat was rolling
serenely along In another direction,
but the car was diverted by special or
der of the U. g. Food Administrator
and received by large wholesale job
Der In New York City. This jobber
also does business under a Food Ad-
ministration license, but administered
by the distribution division. Under IL
cense terms the jobbers must sell at
fair profit only, although the exact
amount Of this profit is not determin.
ed, the Food Administration reserving
the right in each case to call halt
when Q licensee has gone 1.-THE limit"
The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1918-03-28

means of control of the retailer by
making the jobber voluntary police
man to his customer. The jobber Is
licensed to sell only to traders who
deal fairly, and II II should turn out
that q jobber persists In doing busi-
ness with retailers guilty Of proflteer.
ing In staples under control the Food
Administration has and may exercise
the right to revoke the license of the
jobber.
The other part of this shipment con.
tanned our second bushel of wheat and
went over to the East Side into small
bakery, which quickly made It into
creamy loaves. These loaves were
placed In groceries and delicatessens
and the next day were eaten by hun
CRY little boys and girls with dark
eyes and big noses and quaint ways
Brings Out Startling Truths.
Government control has brought out
these startling truths:
More people unnecessarily make
their living out Of wheat distribution
than was suspected. Thousands and
thousands of little SPECTATORS have
had to turn elsewhere for a livelihood.
A number Of commission men have
had to close shop. There are places
where elevators should be built and
other places where there are too many
elevators. The Government, dominat-
ing the wheat market, carries Its own
marine insurance. Wheat handlers at
terminals have had their activities TO
stricted.
But most Of all II IL interesting to
see how the price Of -four per barrel
tumbled from the time Uncle Sam took
a positive hand In the matter The
Food Administration has recently COM
pleted an interesting chart on the
prices Of wheat and bulk -four at Min.
neapolis. In statement of Novem-
Der 20, the Food Administration says:
The farmer received for the 1915 har-
vest between S1.t5 and $50 per bushel
for the harvest. taking the country by
large and .. Last year he received
under 20 per cent Of the price Of the loaf.
Today he In receiving over 40 per cent Of
the money paid for the cash loaf. this
being the result Of the stabilixation Of
prices and the total elimination Of hoard.
Ing and speculation In this industry.
The statement reports that farmers
on November 20 were receiving with
freight charges included from the ter
ritory represented to Minneapolis, ap-
proximately $3.50 for AZ bushels Of
wheat. The price Of bulk -four at the
Minneapolis mill is about $10.25 per
barrel. showing that the miller IL now
receiving about Is cents9per barrel,
which must Include both his operating
expenses and proht.
The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1918-03-28

period In 1915. In September, October
and November, under the supervision
of the Food Administration, -four pro-
duction was ia per cent Of the same
period In 1919. What this means In the
great national situation, with depleted
domestic -four reserves and clamoring
foreign buyers can hardly be over.
emphasized, when movement Of wheat
into primary markets has been hardly
The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1918-03-28

RING last July and Au-
gust, while Congress was
wrestling with itself to
produce a food admins
tratlon, and there was
no Grain Corporation,
-four production In the
principal centers was 10
~. n..k ,a A. -