The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1918-12-23
FOOD PROBLEM IS
One OF THE MOST
PRESSING BEFORE
ENTENTE NATIONS
Work Of Feeding Starving
Nations Largely In
Hoover's Charge
SORBONNE SPEECH
CAUSES COMMENT
Many See Revival Of Bry-
an Plan To Talk Over
Disputes For Year
(By Associated Press.)


Paris, Dec. 23.-President Wilson's
today and tomorrow will
complete the preliminaries
to England. They probably will lay
the principal part of the groundwork
for the actual peace conference.
Mr.. Wilson considers the most
pressing of all problems before the
entente nations in a fair way to be
solved. This is the question OF sup
plying food to the starving peoples
of liberated countries. --.-- -..
1t now seems probable that the
work will be handled principally by
the United States through Herbert c..
Hoover, American food administra-
tor. It has been made plain to the
entente nations that the United
States has no wish to claim entire
credit for the work of relief in the
minds of the people who are TO be
fed and a satisfactory understand
ing appears to be in sight. Mr..
Hoover will confer with the Presi-
dent again today.
Participation by the United States
in various councils that have been
handling food questions, matters of
shipping, and the like is being grad
ually wound up, as American officials
are trending toward the opinion that
these are proper subjects for the
consideration OF q league of nations
or at least OF preliminary organiZa-
tions which may precede it.
Foundation OF League. "
Some of those who have been Civ
ing the subject close study and have
been following the conference with
entente representatives say they
would not be surprised If the real
foundation of a league Of nations
were to be laid in cooperative ar
rangements between the United
States and the allies for handling
these fundamental questions.
MIR. Wilson'S address at SoFbonne
on Saturday, in which he defined his
conception of league of nations at
tracted closest attention from public
men here. This is especially true of
his statement that the war could.
Eever have occurred if the central
rbwars had discuSsed it f0rs a fort
night, and certainly not IL had
been forced to talk matters over for
more than a year.
The Presidents address has recall
ed that the United States, while Will
liam jennings Bryan was secretary
of state, negotiated a dozen arbttr-
ary treaties, one of them with Great
Britain. These treaties bound their
signators to discuss their controVer-
sizes for at least a year before pro-
ceeding to a declaration OF war. An
attempt was made to negotiate such
a treaty with Germany but the Ber-
lin government refused to entertain
it. It is also recalled the same idea
was once expressed in plan for
preserving peace put forward by al
group headed by Viscount James
Bryce. former British ambassador toI
the United States. There is no Of
fetal authority for the statement
that Mr.. Wilson is thinking of the
Bryan plan as one Of the elements in
the proIS1sed machinery for preserv-
ing world peace but this reference toI
the plan in his Sorbonne speech has
set public men to thinking.
No announcement has been made
as to how far the conferences be-
tween Mr.. Wilson, Premier Clemen-
ceau, Premier Orlando and Foreign
Minister, Sonnino have gone, but
French public men have . declared
that their premier's talks with the
President were entirely satisfactory.
It is also, believed that Mr.. Wilson
has made substantial progress in his
Visits Hospital.
President Wilson Friday visited
the Red Cross hospital at Mobility,
where he shook hands individually
and talked with 1900 badly wounded
Americans, for the most part survi-
vors of the Chateau Thierry. action.
He spent more than four hours in
the hospital, visiting every ward and
stopping at every bedside. Later, he
visited the French hospital Val De-
Grace.
Though far away from the White
House and the usual forty pound
yuletide turkey, President and Mrs.
Wilson will enjoy something of the
spirit OF Christmas. 1t became
known today that Mr.. Wilson recent
ly slipped away from the Murat
residence and went on foot through
the shopping district, making pur-
chases and looking about without be-
ing recognized.
Mrs. Wilson has been shopping
alone at odd times and when Christ
mas morning comes it is fairly GER
tain that Santa Claus will have visit
ed the Presidents special train while
en- route to Chaumont
British Terms Ready.
London, Dec. 23.-It is expected
that the entire day Friday, the day
following President Wilson's ar
rival in England for his visit, will be
devoted to discussion by the Presi-
dent with the British war cabinet of
the terms to be proposed by Great
Britain at the inter allied confer
ence preceding the peace congress.
The cabinet, 1t Is said, viii be able
to finish by tomorrow night the task
of framing the terms, and the final
draft should be ready by Christmas
day.
PARK RIVER MAN KILLED.
washington, Dec. 23.-The war de-
partment announced today that Pvt.
Nicholas j. Nicikolay, of Park River,
N D., previously reported missing in