Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-12-04
President Regards Danger Of
Militarism Equally Great
On Land And Sea.
WILSON RECOGNIZED AS
SMALL NATIONS SPONSOR
Position In Delegation Has No
Precedent In History OF
World S COnclaves.
BY Robert ]. Bender
tied Press staff correspondentl

u
Hoboken, N. ]. En- Route to France
with President Wilson. Dec. 4.--Presi.
dent Wilson sails for Edror today lit
orally to fight that America s peace
ideals may prevail.
There is no doubt as to his purpose
to demand adherence to the letter as
woll as the spirit of his fourteen basic
principles. He will demand vast reduc-
tion of armaments, on sea as well as
land, it IS believed. And his insistance
on the constimation Of Am, rica S three
year naval building program may re-
fleet his determination to have other
nations scale down. Or the United
Stetas will scale up.
The president, it is said, regards the
danger of militarism US equally great
on sea and land. 1t may be said he
does not favor joint sea policy of
Great Britain and the Uaited States
does not favor the superiority Of any
nation OH sea, but believes the sea
should be guarded by the whole world.
Escorts of Transport Wait
His special train pulled up on the
port siding at 1920 this morning from
Washington about half hour later
the executive boarded the giant former
German liner George~gyashpgton, rest
ing at Pier number 4, and had break
fast. Awaiting the transport was the
huge American dreadnaugl. Pennsyl-
vallia, flagship of Admiral Henry T..
Mayo, commander in chief of the At
lantic squadron, ready for its serious
duty of being head escort ship.
Other escort ships will be the destroy
ers Wickes, Wcolsey, Lea. Tarbell and
Yarnell. Tn addition to these, ten other
destroyers-the Mahan, Redford, Breeze
Craven, Dorsey. Robinson, Wake,
Montgomery, Lambcrton and Perkins
will accompany the presidential par
ty for the first AS hours of the "trip
and then return.
Met by Divisions of Fleet
OFF the ccast of Franco the presi-
Dental ship will be met ny two diyis-
ions of the Atlantic fleet and escort
ed to port. Rear Admiral II Oh Rodman
will be in command Of division nine,
which includes the Dattleships New
York, the flagship, commanded by
Captain E. L. Beach; Texas, Captain
Victor Blue; Wyoming, Captain H. H.
Christy; Florida, Captain NJ. NJ. Tay-
lor; Arkansas, Captain l.. h. Destei-
ger; Nevada, Captain w. q. Cole.
The other division, number six,
which will be under th command Of
Rear Admiral I. s. Rogers, includes
the Utah Captain +. b. Bassett; Okla
homa, Captain Charles B. McVey; Afiz.
ona, Captain John A. Dayton.
1t was just three years ago today
that Henry Ford sailed or his unique
pilgrimage to end the war. AT 3:l5
O'Clock in the afternoon Of this date
in 1915 his chartered ship, the Oscar
II, with bands playing and flags fly
ing, swung out from this same port
and headed down the bay.
The ill-fated Ford expedition had as
its motto sect the boys out of the
trenches by Christmas The purpose
Of the American delegates on their
great mission today is "Makc peace
that will keep the boys out O. the
trenches foreyer.n
No Precedent in History
President Wilson S position in this
delegation teday-as recognized spon-
sor Of the smaller and weaker nations
Of the world-has no precedent in the
history Of peace conclaves. At the 1874
congress Of Vienna, the only near par
alel to the forthcoming conclave, there
was no champion for liberty Of OPP
pressed nationalities.
OF the great outstanding figures OF
that congress Talleyrand, French Dip
lomatic genius, represented the last of
the Boufbons, whose chief concern wa:
continuance Of royal SUGGESTIONS. The
Austrian, Metternich, whose influence
at the conference was such that he him
self boasted, "tbe congress II is II
was there to fight for the preservation
of the Hapsburgs, whom the cause of
liberty, as advocated by the allies in
the present war, had been driven from
power.
Emperor Alexander Of Russia then,
as Wilson does today, directed his own
diplomacy. But he was chiefly concern
ed in that historic gathering in the sciz
ure Of help.ess Poland, while President
Wilson today is en route TO France to
fight for the complete freedom Of that
people.
To Accompany Party
Rear Admiral II. $. Knapep and Cap
tain w. " Pratt accompany the pres.
ldential party aud viii report to Ad-
miral Bensoa, iayal representative
i;untutnea 10 paQe tnfes,