Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-11-19
Official Announcement
Comes from White
HOuse-Plans to Sail
Immediately After
Converting of Regu-
lar Session of Con.
gress, Dec. 2
At
OUTSET THOUGHT
NECESSARY

! W dSitIuStpus NV 10 itSidtslt
Wilson will attend the opening ses-
sions Of the peace conference. This
! was announced tonight officially. lie
will go Immediately after the con-
vening of the regular session of CON-
gress on Dec. 2. This official state
mcnt was issued at the Whit"
| House.
| The White House announcement.
| follows: The President expects 10
sail for France Immediately after the.
| opening Of the regular session IL
| Congress, for the purpose of taking
part in the discussion and settlement
OF the main features Of the treaty
of peace II IS not likely thai il wins
| be possible for him TO remain
| throughout the sessions OF the for
NAL peace conference but his pres
| ence at the outset is necessary in or
| der TO obviatc the manifest diSaG-i
vantages OF discussion by cable in
| determining the greater outlines of
| the final treaty. about which he must
necessarily be consulted. He viii. Of
course. be accompanied by delegates
who will sit as the representatives
of the United States Throughout. tie
! conference. The names OF the dele
gates Will be presently annoi1ced.
How long the President will remain
| abroad he himself probably cannot
say now. The time for the converting
! of the peace conference has not YET
been announced but the general belief
here is that it cannot be assemble?
before late in December. at the carii-
! est. If such proves the case, the
! President will he absent from tn
country for at least a month and
! probably longer.
! What plans tho President may
| have for his trip other than TO at
! tend the opening IF the peace con-
| ference and to participate in tho
discussions among the represent
atives of the Associated nations
which Will preCede ii. have not been
! revealed. He undoubtedly will tie ac-
: companied by Mrs. Wilson and it Is
expected here tina; besides his visit
! in Paris where the peace Congress
| probably will be held he will so to
| London and possibly to Brussels and
Rome.
| Mr.. Wilson is expected TO receive
abroad a reception such as has been
accorded but few men in public life.
He will be welcomed not only as the =.
! President of the United States and
! the commander in { hief of its army
and navy bat also as the champion
! Of world democracy. In visiting
Europe the President will establish n
precedent He will ne the first chief
executive of the United States to
| participate in a peace conference for
the settling Of issues growing out Of
a war in which thus country partic-
| ipated.
In rea ching his decision to attend
the peace conference. President Will
son is understood TO have been large
ly Influenced by representatives from
! Premier Lloyd George of England
and Clemenceau of France and 9TH
er statesmen of the Entente coun-
tries The principles anA terms Of
settlement enunciated by the Presi-
dent have been accepted by both tn"
| associated nations and the central
powers, as the basis upon which
peace IS 10 De Te-cSlaDHSncu anu ~
is understood that it is for working
! out the application of these that his.
presence is so earnestly desired by
the Allied statesmen. Since the
| President is to sal. for France early
next month, it seems certain that nc
will reach Paris several weeks before
! the peace congress assemblies.
His purpose is believed here to be
! to participate in the conference now
! preceding al Versailles as the prelim-
! mary TO the meeting on the peace
! commissioners. He thus will have tho
| opportunity to discharge in person
| for the first time the duties Of his
! membership in the supreme war
| council, in which he is now represent
! ed by Colonel T.. NJ. House. In the
! general view here the sessions OF
! the supreme war council which bring
! together the entente premiers with
/ the representatives of the United
! States are of first Importance for in
| all probability it will be at those
| sessions that the general program
, which is to givern the peace congress
would be arranged
! The President will attend the open
( ing sessions OF the congress at which
the broad principles Of the treaty will
! be settled but he will not remain for
| the subsequent detailed discussions
! and settlement Of the various ques-
! tons. TINS will be the work of the
| commit ouers he soon is to name to
I represent tho United Sttac.
ing out this unusual pro-
, gram Of having the conference draft
! and adopt n general peace treaty at
| the outset. the President and the en-
| tente premierS will he able soon at
/ ter the congress assemblies to return
to thenr own countries and attend -
important business at home Since
(Contisued on Pare 4 Col u