Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-12-24
Question Which Wilson Con-
sidefS Most Pressing Fac
ing Entente Powers Now
Believed Settled.
BRYAN'S TREATIES
ARE BEING RECALLED
Presidents Reference to Fact
That War Could Have Been
Prevented by Discussion IS
Causing Some Talk.

ray MORNING JOURNAL sp-eIA- LEASED wissl
Paris, Dee 20 (by The Associated
Press) - President Wilson's confer
ences today and tomorrow will virtu-
ally complete the preiiminares he is
expected to dispose of before going to
England They probably will lay the
principal part of the ground work for
the actual peace conference.
Mr.. Wilson considers the most
pressing of all problems before the
entente nations in fair way toward
being solved This is the question of
supplying food to the starving peoples
Of liberated countries. 1t now seems
probable that the work will be
handled principally by the United
States, through Herbert C. Hoover. 1t
has been made plain to the entente
nations that the United States has no
wish to claim entire credit for the
work of relief in the minds Of the
people who are to be fed and salts
factory understanding appears to be
in sight. Mr.. Hoover will confer with
the president again today.
Participation by the United States in
various councils that have been hand
ling food questions, matters of ship
ping anu lHe IIh6 is DSllS
wound up as American officials are
trending toward the opinion that
these are proper subjects for the con-
sideration of a league of nations or at
least of preliminary organizations
which may precede it.
Some of those who have been CIV
ing the subject close study and have
been following the conferences with
entente representatives say they would
not be surprised Il the real founda-
ton of league of nations were to be
laid in cooperative arrangements be-
tween the United States and the allies
for handling these fundamental ques-
tons.
Bryan Treaties Recalled.
Mr.. Wilson'S address at the Sof-
bonnie on Saturday. in which he again
defined his conception of league of
nations attracted closest attention
from all public men here. This is es
pecially true of his statement that the
war could never have occurred If the
central powers had discussed it for a
fortnight and certainly not If they had
been forced to talk matters over for
more than a year.
The presidents address has recalled
that the United States. while William
Jennings Bryan was secretary of state,
negotiated dozen arbitration treaties.
one of them with Great Britain.
These treaties bound their signatories
TO discuss their controversies for at
least year before proceeding to
declaration of war An attempt was
made to negotiate such treaty with
Germany but the Berlin government
refused to entertain it. There is no
offocial authority for the statement
that Mr.. Wilson is thinking of the
Bryan plan as one of the elements in
the proposed machinery for preserving
world peace, but this reference 10 the
plan in his Surhonne speech has set
public men to talking, No announce
ment has been made as to how tar
the conferences between Mr.. Wilson,
Premier Clemenceau, Premier Or
lando and Foreign Minister Sonnino
have gone but French public men
have declared that their premier's
talks with the president were entirely
satisfactory. 1t is also believed that
Mr.. Wilson has made substantial
progress in his conferences with ltal-
ian statesmen.