Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1918-12-19
Great Britain and Mr.. Wilson
Likely to Agree as to the
"Freedom Of Seas"
ENGlAND's POSITION STATED
Allies Will Demand That Germany Pay
Their War Bill Of $3.50, 000, 000, 900
Conditions In Land Of Huns
Still Are chaotic-Presi-
dent Reaches
By EDWARD W. pIckARD.

Vnefe are 1nQlcatlOnS IN the Ql0-
patches from Europe that the biggest
problems Of the peace conference may
be solved more easily and amicably
than had been feared. The greatest
OF these, possibly, is the matter of the
freedom of the SEAS" The Germans
and certain others had been hoping
that this rather nebulous question
would be the cause of trouble be-
tween America and Great Britain, and
there is no doubt that the British
have been preparing to contend firmly
that they must not give up the weapon
that really saved the world from the
Huns and that is SO necessary to the
safety of their widespread empire.
Their public men, from Lloyd George
down, all have said this frankly with
out waiting for President Wilson to
define publicly just what he means by
the phrase freedom of the seas"
London now processes to have assur.
ance that the differences between Mr..
Wilson and the British in this matter
will not be difficult Of adjustment.
Sir Frederick e. Smith, attorney
general, expressed succinctly Britain's
attitude when he said: II am not
sure that Great Britain will not have
TO say to the allies at the peace con-
ference: We shall be quite satisfied
with such definition of freedom of
the seas as will enable the British
navy in the unfortunate event of fu-
ture wars to do exactly what the Brit
ish navy, aided b. the American navy,
has been doing for the last eighteen
months"
The premier himself, addressing q
meeting at Bristol. said emphatically
wherever the request comes from,
we are not going to give up the pro-
lection Of the navy. so far as Great
Britain Is concerned"
It is to be regretted that some voices
are being raised in England as we'll as
in America in favor of "soft peace"
for fear the German people will be
resentful! On this question Lloyd
George again may be quoted. Reiter-
ating his declaration that Germany
should pay to the utmost limit of her
capacity, he said the war bill of the
allies against the Huns Is $120,O0O,-
100000. The whole wealth of Ger
many, as estimated before the war,
would fall short Of this sum by be-
tween twenty and forty-tive billions.
However. the premier says the allies
propose to exact the entire cost of
the war from Germany, that it can be
exacted in such way that it will do
no more harm to the country that re-
ceives 1t than to the country that pays
It. and that the demands of the al
lies must come in front of the German
national war debt. British commits
sion already has reported on Ger
many's capacity to pay.
Belgium, France and the other vic.
.:;torious nations of Europe, it may be
assumed, are no less determined than
~ Great Britain to compel Germany
TO stand the full cost Of the fearful
conflict she started. It Is likely France
will occupy the German lands west of
the Rhine until payment has been
made.
-n-
Belgium probably will come out Of
the war greater in territory than when
she went in. She intends to ask, the
restoration Of the parts of the prov.
ances Of Limburg and Luxembourg
which went to Germany and Holland
by the international treaty Of 1850
and also to ask that the Dutch return
the land which includes the lower
8cheldt.