Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-12-07
A LEAGUE OF NATIONS REQUIRED TO CONTROL
 CRIMINAL AMBITIONS OF GR EAT AUTOCRAC|ES
Outlining His Views of Peace, Arthur Balfour Believes Russia Status Will Be Settled at Peace Conference
 Whose Delegates Will Be Recognized

ed Press. )-Arthur J. Balfour, Secre- tary of States for Foreign Affairs. in outlining his views on the peace con ference today, told the Associated Press that he thought the meeting in Paris this month would be mere ly informal and preliminary to the conference of the associated govern ments at the first of the year, which would formulate all the important terms of peace agreements. This conference. he added, would be the most important and the longest of the series. When it was finished, the enemy countries would be called in to raitfy the conclusions reached
 MT Balfour said the British gov ernment had not yet made any fixed arrangements for Pre- esident Wilson co visit England as it would be prema- ture to do so until more was known regarding the Presidents own plans. Breat Britain would be guided sole ly by his wishes.
 The foreign secretary said he be- lieved the question of league of nations was the most important work imposed on the conference.
 "The prominence of MT. Wilson has given the subject valuable contrj- button to civilizations" he declared.
 :I think" continued MT. Balfour "a league of nations is vital neces- sity if this war is to produce al, the good we expect to come out of it. The United States would have to bear large share in the worx it involves. It should be something more than a mere instrument to prevent war. The world is more con- plicated than we are inclined to think. It would be folly to imagine it possible to constitute world with states endowed with equal pow CTS and rights.
 But l wish to say emphatically, ill my opinion, to devise in concert workable machinery for them is one of the highest functions the confer ence can deal with.P
 Referring \ to President Wilson's phrase, make the world safe for democracy" Mr., Balfour said:
 q do not think the world can be made safe for democracy merely by multiplying the number of democra- tic states"
 Mir. Balfour explained that he was not thinking especially of Germany. but of new states in process of for nation in eastern Europe.
 we must not assume" he said, "that when such system is created in eastern Europe like that, wrong will be impossible. The passions which arise between neighboring demOcracies make them quite as prone to undertake strife as if under other forms of government. Some critics say that the changes that are being made in eastern Europe will Balkanize Europe, but I look for- ward to something different. It would be intolerable if Europe and America made no provision against turning Europe into cockpit for further wars.
 T believe a league of nations will be required to superintend and con- trol not only the criminal ambitions of great autocracies. but to prevent any rash and inconsiderate countries from going to war. It is impossible to talk about democracy except for countries which have reached a re- latively advanced stage of civilization A league could be trustee for those l less developed. Holding thls vrsw regard a league of nations the great est work of the conference"
 Asked if Russia would be repre- scented at the peace conference, MT. Balfcur replied:
 'It is hard to define what Russia is now. We have no relations with the Bolshevist government which is the main de facto government in central European Russia. But there ! are many other de facto govern ments.
 sI think Russia's status will be 1 settled at the peace conference. i cannot conceive that the conference will regard any Russian government as at present constituted entitled to