The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1918-11-28
THE PEACE CONFERENCE.

speculation about the coming Peace
conference who shall go. who may
not attend. and what is to be done. At
present all is in the air, and former
reace conferences are being studied as
''precedents." In former times Sucll
conferences were limited tC the nations
Immediately concerned - that is, those
that took part in the war. But. it
seems. that every nation Oh the earth,
small and great. wants to he repre-
scented in the grand peace talk. Even
Germany wants :: seat ut the peace
table. Formerly the conquered nation
was given Il position ut the round
tallle. hut conditions are now quite diff
ferent. and Germany should have nc
voice in the matter. She must take
what conditions are imposed upon her.
We well know what that brutal power
would have given the Allies had she
triumphed. France. Italy, England and
Belgium would have been annexed to
Germany. and the United States would
have been required to pay the expenses
Of the unholy war. That was the frank
statement Ct the kaiser.
At the coming conference t there
shclld be commissioners oply from the
nations principally interested. and who
fought and won the war. These are
France. Great Britain Italy. Belgium
and the United States, also Serbia and
Run.ania. There should be three peace
commissioners from each country. Ii
Germany is admitted. she may claim
representation from all of her petty
states. and there are twenty-five ''prin-
! Qualities" in the German COnfedera
| ton. Russia. the renegade, wants Il
voice. and there are now three dis
cordant governments" in that empire.
Then. Turkey wants to come in, and If
this is allowed. all the other nations Of
the earth will no doul claim Il right
| to join in the chorus. There are sew
enty-tive. or perhaps one hundred. dif-
ferent governments in the world, and
| if each is admitted t. Il voice in the
Peace Conference it may result in any
thin. Tut peace. and end in second
! Bal el.
|
war are the only ones that should have
Il Voice in the conference. They should
draft the treaty. with the aid of
the military and naval authorities.
The conditions imposed upon Germany
should be: \ total disarmament of all
Patton by Allied forces Of certain STRAIT
egical points on land and on sea: the
dismemberment Of the German Con-
federation to the limits that existed at
the | eginning Of hostilities. including
tile restoratia,l Of plunGered territory
to Poland and to France: the payment
Ct the expenses Of the war. and for all
damages caused by the invasion. This
of course, includes Austria Hungary. as
tat dual monarchy was dependence
Of Germany.
Some sentimentaliStS urge that Ger
many is Impoverished and never call
) Ia: the delt. When Germany sui dued
France in 1871 the Larbarians imposed
an immense levy upon that stricken
country. and in addition t,,ok over TIVE
of her faireSt pruvinceS-Alsace and
iorrainG--Hhich she held in londagt
until the date of the armistice; and
Even in evacuating those provinces the.
destroyed what they could not carr!
away. France raid the roller fund,
! and now demands that it lie renaid
: with interest. This will lie one OF tn,
claims at the peace table. and justly
!. Eut. if ali the outside nations. mc.'t o
!. which are not even remotely interested
! -should.l lie permitted to have voice
e.Fsno:s s.elly. France. hut thn other .Ailies
Y fNiHi.be outvoted. and thus cur victor
e twill Re shoill of its just awards an
afttftl II u iiiractical defeat. :.
81 Our lind and naval forces slaould t.,
u cu:'y German territory ui.til the de:
( imposed upon that country is collected
h"re Should e tax rpon all pro.
+ erty. and. in addition. a head tax upo
every Ierson within the limits Of tn
le territory of Germany as it existed /,
u the beginning Of the war. excepting til
e inlal itants of the plundered territor,
y as above mentioned
y. The revolutionists now at work i
~ Germany may organize several sep;
e rate governments. and each may rep,
y date the acts of the original German
u under the kaiser. They will thus a
d tempt to evade the payment Of the pen
atty imposed. But, it is the Germi,
u Eeople that we must look to-the enc
he who invaded Belgium and France. an
!! Ought the Allies. Had they not d,
'f sired to do so. they could have rebelle
against their rulers. hut their brut;
u acts show that they were eager for I'll
Z work of desolation and only desired
Is lie led forward Now. let them stuff,
De for it. If they are permitted to escap
IL through Il false sentinentality, it wi
y. he an encouragement to other nation
70 to disturb the peace of the world.
Labor unions in California have q
= dered il strike on December 9th if
!" new trial Is not granted to T'homa.