Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-08
Officials Quote Him on
League Of Nations and
Freedom of Seas.
REGARDED MAJOR TOPICS
BEFORE THE C0NFEREES'
Asserted That English Opinion
Does Not Differ Widely From
That of Mr.. Wilson.

DESPITE his silence in recent weeks
concerning the attitude he will take
on two major topics for settlement at
the peace conference.-the project for
league Of nations and a definition OF
the proposed "freedom of the seas
friends of President Wilson in Wash
ington hold that he has declared as
specifically as possible in advance, TO
Congress- and to the American people,
his ideas on these two points.
Administration officials are showing
signs of being somewhat disturbed
about the prevalent criticism, ooth
on Capitol Hill and throughout the
country, that the President has gone
abroad without fully informing the
people about the policies to when
he will commit the United States.
These critics are pointing to the
open statements of British statesmen
such as those Of Winston Churchlll,
munitions minister, made on InurS-
day; that of Arthur J. Balfour' maoe
FRIDAY, and the address when Lioyo
George, England's premier, is TO make
shortly regarding peace terms: They
cite these declarations as being IN Sharp
contrast to the Presidents silence.
Presidents Attitude Explained.
But it became known today the Presi-
dents attitude is that he has enunclat-
ed the principles for which ne stanus'
rot only in the address before congress
last January 8, which contalheu lHe
much-discussed fourteen points, but in
other addresses dating back even pc
fore entry of the United States into the
war. The President is understood to
hold that nothing was to be gained by
their reiteration on the eve OF delcale
In connection with the two points
mentioned the Presidents address to
Congress January 22, 1917. was c1teo
today. It is not believed that he has
had reason to change the views Jews ea+ sa.
forth before the entry Of the United
states into the war, and therefore that
address is considered as significant
sidelight on the Presidents present
policy. s,.
at length with the league of nations
plans and spoke at length on the free-
dom of the seas.
His View of League Of Nations.
Concerning the league Of nations,
he said: =. <o>
comes this government should frankly
formulate the conditions upon Wh1ch
it would feel justified in asking our
people to approve it's formal and SOL
emn adherence to a league of peace :
A little further on the President
stated: mo covenant of cooperative
peace which does not include the peo-
pies of the new world can suffice to
20 oirDct q
vet there is only one sort OF peace
that the peoples of America can join
in guaranteeing. Mere agree
ments may not make peace secure. 1t
will be absolutely necessary that a
force be created as guarantor OF
much greater than the force of any
nation now engaged, or any alliance
hitherto formed or projected, that no
nation, no probable combination of
nations, could face or withstand it."
In Line With Mr. Balfour.
In this same speech of nearly two
years ago the President uttered a
thought closely parallel with one ex-
pressed by Mr.. Balfour in a statement
Yesterday. The President said:
Equality of territory or Of re-
sources there, of course, cannot be,
nor any other sort of equality not
gained IN the Ordinary pedce1ul anu
legitimate development of the peoples
themselves"
And yesterday Mr.. Balfour stated:
"It would be folly to imagine it pos
sfble to constitute a world endowed
with equal powers and rights" And
again, "I do not think the world can
be made safe for democracy merely
by multiplying the number Of demo-
cratic states"
Declaration Of Freedom Of Seas.
Even more explicit and interesting,
perhaps, in regard to the widespread
discussion here and in England con-
cerning the freedom of the seas was
President Wilson's utterance on that
point. He said:
"And the paths of the sea must
alike in law and in fact be free. The
freedom of the seas is the sine qua
non Of peace, equality and co-opera-
ton. No doubt a somewhat radical
reconsideration of many of the rules
of international practice hitherto
thought to be established may be nee
essary in order to make the seas in
deed free and common in practically
all circumstances for the use of man
kind, but the motive for such changes
is convincing and compelling. There
| can be no trust or intimacy between
| the peoples Of the world without
| them. The free, constant. unthreat-
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