Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-11-14
lBy Morning 1anrnal Special Leascd wIre.l

stNcihI btHScu NlFc.t
lief here, that Secretary Lansing
would not be a member of the Amer
lean delegation. II was said that upon
Mr.. Lansing would fall much of the
weight Of the heavy tasks connected
with American participation in the
conference not only BY virtue OF his
high rank but also because of his wide
experience in other international con-
ferences and arrangements.
Solf's Proposal Unpopular.
The proposal of DR.. Solf, the Ger
man foreign secretary. for q prelimin-
airy peace conference had not reached
| Washington in official form tonight
| but it is understood there is little
I probability OF its acceptance. Such u
| conference is regarded here as un-
necessary and as likely to complicate
| uselessly the work of the general
conference when 1t is held.
Ostensibly DIR. colts proposal is
based upon the urgent need of Ger
many for food and other supplies, but
it Is pointed out that these conditions
will he dealt with by the United
States and the allies in advance of the
peace conference under the general
pledges contained in the armistice
ell at Versailles.
Further assurance on this subject Is
given the German government by Sec
! retary Lansing, who in note handed
today to the Swiss minister in reply
to one from Friedrich Ebert, the
German chancellor, said the president
is ready to consider favorably the sup
plying of foodstuffs to Germany and
to take up the matter with the allied
governments upon assurances that
public order will be maintained in
Germany and an equitable distribu-
ton of the food is guaranteed.
See Diplomatic Trick
In some quarters here II is suspect
ed that DR.. Solf's real purpose is to
have the preliminary conference dis
pose of political matters, such as the
future of the German colonies and
trade relations between the central
powers and the nations with which
they had been at war, in the hope of
being able thus speedily to re-estab-
lish German foreign trade.
All of the old treaties of amity and
| commerce under which international
trade have been conducted between
| the warning nations AUTOMATICALLY
have been destroyed by the war and it
will he necessary to provide whole
new fabric of trade treaties.
The peace conference may signify
| it's own ideas as to how these shall
| be framed, but 1t will remain for the
individual nations to give these ideas
! concrete form in special treaties.
Program Arranged.
The supreme war council in Ver-
| sailles did more than consider the
! subject or armistices and it is now
| learned that for long time preceding
! the final collapse of the central pow
| ers much study and attention was
| given to the subject of final peace
! in all of it's ramifications. Therefore.
when the peace conference meets 1t
will find before 1t fairly we'll digest
| ed program for the conduct for its
| business calculated to keep the ses-
| sions well within bounds not only IN
| the matter of expenditure of time but
also in the range of subjects to be
! discussed.
| Owing to the number of questions
| to he considered and the amount of
! original investigation required to ar
/ range final settlements of many OF
| them, it is expected that soon after
convening the peace conference VIII
| divide the delegates into a number OF
| sub committees to deal with different
branches of the work and it is regard
ed here as certain that it will provide
for the appointment Of permanent
commissions to sit after final adjourn
1 ment of the conference to perform the
scores Of things that must be done TO
set the commercial and economic ma
i chinery of the world at work again.
A long time, not months but years.
will be required to readjust this ma
chinery. one high official said to-
day it was a safe rule based on MS
tory to assume that 1t will require
twice as much time to get out or the
war as it did TO go through with II.