, 1918-12-26

full agreement, will prevail in the
main.
Americas delegates to the peace
conference, it is declared, have agreed
to recommend the destruction of the
surrendered enemy warships, in or
der to avoid any disputes as to
their distribution. In this they are
supported by the British who, /
through Sir Eric Geddes, first lord of
) the admiralty, already had acquiesced
in the plan. The smaller nations prob
ably will protest against this plan, for
they had counted on building up their
navies with some of the Hun vessels.
That & proposition, the free
dom of the seas is becoming a tride
less vague, and the chances that 1t
will cause any serious dispute between
the Americans and the British at the
conference table are growing daily
more remote. 1t is understood that
Mr.. Wilson has assured, or will assure
Premier Lloyd George that he has no
intention of suggesting that the Brit
ish navy be reduced to a point that
would %endanger the safety Of the en-
pire. In this, as in all else, the presi-
dents frequent conferences with the
statesmen of Europe are having de-
cided effect and the possibility of
clashes between the American dele
gates and those of he other nations is
fading away rapidly.
King Victor Emmanuel of Italy and
the prince of Piedmont, heir to he
throne. arrived in Paris Thursday and
met President Wilson, formally invit-
ing him to visit Italy. Over in Eng
land there was much confusion owing
to Mr.. Wilson's sudden change of
plans regarding his visit to London.
He determined to be there on Decem-
Der 20, instead of waiting until later,
the reason given being the possibility
that he might find it necessary to re-
turn to the United States earlier h
had been expected.
IA
For the time being, at least, the boil
sheviki of Germany are beaten. The
national convention of delegates of
the soldiers and workmen's councils
opened in Berlin and at nee declared
In favor of the calling of a national
assembly to elect a president of Ger
many and the government set Decem-
Der % as the date. The Independent
Socialists lined up in the convention
with the Social Democrats, the party
which is now in control n which is
led by Ebert, Scheidemann and other
of the peoples commissioners. Lieb-
knecht and his Spartacides vainly
fought the plan for a national assem-
bly,, and the fiery Karl was barred
from the meeting. Ebert continues to
urge the orderly formation of a re-
public that shall be strongly social
istic, but the belief hat he really
would foster a counter-revolution per-
sists in some quarters. 1t was violent
ly voiced in the Berlin meeting by
GeOrg Ledebour, a radical leader of
the Independent Socialists. but he was
howled down.
The response of the congress to the
attack was the adoption of a resolu-
ton transferring legislative and execu-
tive power to the Ebert government
until some other arrangement is made
by the national assembly.
In many parts of Germany great dis
order prevails. At Danzig, for in
stance, all the prisons were opened
and the inmates set at liberty, and
street fighting is general.
-h-
Meanwhile the bolshevik menace is
moving westward in Russia. The fol-
lowers of Lenine and Trotsky have or
ganized a formidable army and are
steadily attacking the people of the
Baltic provinces. The arrival of allied
naval forces at several ports has not
sufiiced to stop this movement, and the
provisional government of Esthonia
has placed that republic" under the
common protection of the entente pow
ers pending the decision of the peace
conference" Livonia, Courland and
much of Lithuania are in much the
same plight as Esthonia, and the retir-
ing German troops are adding to the
distress of the people.
ID
There have been recently insistent
demands for. the withdrawal of British
forces from Russia. To these ylscount
Miner, secretary of war. replies with
a statement explaining the continuance
of the allied operations in Russia and
justifying them, not only as the carry
Ing out of IN obligation of honor to
protect the Russians and Czecho-Slo-
vaks from bolshevik outrages. but also