Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-12-30
SECRET DIPLOMACY

SECRET DIPLOMACY
Since the presidents declaration in favor, Of the abb
clifton of secret compacts among nations there has been
a good deal Of discussion Of the whole 'subtect of secret
diplomacy, and u very general expression Of conviction
that the light should be shed in upon compacts and
agreements among nations. Not a little of the comment
has gone to the length of demanding. not merely that the
results of all international negotiations should be made
public, but that the negotiations themselves, in all their
steps. should be conducted in the full blaze Of publicity.
Some pains have been taken to- explain that the
president did not mean just this when he made his dec
laration. President Wilson has been able to create in
the minds of several quite shrewd observers the lmp1e s-
sion that he is a man of sense. Being, presumably, a
man of not less than average intelligence, he could not
have intended his remarks on the subject of secret diplo-
macy to be interpreted as some have interpreted them.
Even If he had intended that construction to be placed
upon them, the idea would nevertheless have been con-
traEy to all that We know of negotiations among. indi-
viduals, and we must remember that it is by and with
individuals that international negotiations must be con-
Quoted.
Within a short time there will be at Versailles one
of the most important meetings in the history of nations,
and some tremendously important issues will be decided
there. There will be determined the method of treat
ment to be employed toward a once powerful nation
whose effort to impose its own will upon the world by
an unparalleled series of horrors and cruelties has end
cd in collapse and ruin. There will be decided the man
ner in which injured and almost destroyed nations are
to be aided in the work of rehabilitation. New nations
will be given recognition, and boundaries will be estab-
llshed. New laws will be made to govern the nations
in their intercourse with each other, and at least the
foundation will be laid for a league of civilized powers
to maintain the peace Of the world.
These are matters which concern most vitality every
human being. The proceedings at the great conference
will, in the main, be open to the public in the sense that
the public's representatives, the men of the press, will be
given access, and will be permitted to send out their own
accounts Of the proceedings, and their own comments
thereon. Yet there will be some restrictions. AS in most
deliberative bodies. certain details will be assigned to
committees which may be created from time to time.
and the work Of these committees will be private. Fur
Their, the general conference may, at its pleasure. go into
executive session for the discussion of matters which, for
the time being, it may not be thought wise to bring to
the attention Of the public. |
But this is not all. The work of the peace confer
.ence will not begin when the conference meets. It has
already begun. Just at what particular time it was in
itiated it would be difficult to say, but both, consciously
and unconsciously there has been going on for many
months work which is directly part of the conference
work, in the collection Of information and the inter-
change of views, the presentation of arguments, and so
forth, among the representative men of the nations
which will be active participants in the great meeting.
Since the arrival of President Wilson in Europe there
has been extraordinary activity. Following conferences
of the premiers of the entente powers of Europe. Mr..
Wilson has held conferences with the statesmen Of
France, Italy and Great Britain, and at these the vital
issues which are to come before the conference have
been discussed. All of these gatherings have been pri-
vate.
The other day, while there was a good deal Of noisy
celebrating outside, three gentlemen. Messrs. Wilson,
|Lloyd-George and Balfour, stretched their legs in front
OF an open fire in a cosy room in Buckingham Palace
and talked things over. There were no reporters present.
no secretaries-nobody but just those three. We are
given to understand that they got along very nicely.
They would not have got along half so fast or,so well
If their conversation had been in public.
Secret compacts among nations must be abolished:
but many Of the steps by which compacts are reached
must necessarily and for the time be taken IS the result
Of just such private conversations as were held nv those
three statesmen the other day.