New-York tribune., 1918-12-24
League of Nations
To Come i'm Three
Steps, Says 'Matin'
Allies Will Agree on Points,
Germany Will Be Told
Conditions and Neutrals
Will BE Invited to Join

PARIS, Dec 23.-The "Matin" to- day
was authorized to print the article
which was censored yesterday. The
article, the first headline of which
read Yesterdays Utopia To-morrow's s
Reality" sets for the manner of pro-
cedure Of the "promoters of league
of nations acting in agreement with
the Allied governments"
The formation Of league Of nations,
the article says, will be in three stages.
The Allied governments will decide
the principles of such an organization,
which will include compulsory arbitra-
tion and limitation of armamcnts.
Germany and her former allies will
then be told that they must accept
these principles, after which the treaty
of peace will be formulated.
Later a conference will be held to
discuss the formation of league.
Ncutrals will be admitted, the article
continues, but Germany will not have
an equal standing until she has ex-
plated her misdeeds and before she
can do SO an international organiza-
tlon will be working.
Right of Peoples to Decide
"There Will be three stages" the
"Matln" says. "First, the Allied govern
ments will settle among themselves
the principles of the league. AS a
fundamental rule they will set down
the right of peoples to decide their
own destinies. AS practical conse-
quence it follows that there will be
limitation of armanents and COM
pulsory arbitration among the nations.
1t seems indispensable that at this
point the Entente countries bind them
selves to put these clauses in the
preliminaries of peace.
ut has appeared absolutely necessary
to the promoters that the regime Of the
future world SHOULD be fixed inf its main
outlines before there are any questions
of indemnities and territories. so that
for the first time in history the de-
liberations of the plcnipotentiaries
should be dominated by higher ideas
than mere individual interest.
Force German Acceptance
"The second act will consist in mott
lying the enemy powers of the funda-
mental principles laid down in the
preliminaries and requiring from them
their adhesion to these principles. As
to other conditions of peace prelim-
nares, as in the case of stipulatons
OF territorial, financial and economic
character, no discussion will, be ad-
mltted. The Entente delegates will say
to Germany and her allies
Compulsory arbitration and limita-
tlon OF armanents are integral parts
of our conditions. You must subscribe
to them a once; you will know later
how these principles viii be applied
"Ihe preliminaries once signed, de-
tails of the peace treaty will be dis
cussed among the belligerents, and only
after the signing of this treaty Of
peace proper will the third stage be
reached. This Will be a universal CON
terence to settle the new relations to
be created among the peoples.
VIII Admit Neutrals
"To this conference neutrals NAV
be admitted. No nation, however. will
be admitted to full membership in the
league of nations if it does not offer
sufficient guarantees. Germany. having
started the war, will have been con-
demned by the peace conference to
make restitution and reparation. She
cannot be regarded as being on an
equal footing with other nations until
she has paid her debt. Germany has
committed crime and she must atone
for 1T before she can be admitted to
the ranks of honest and civilized
nnOnlec '''''~S"