New-York tribune., 1918-12-04
II. S. Delegates Have Aid of
Three Truckloads of Doc
uments on Shipboard
$50 in Great Inquiry
Specialists i'm History, Map
Making, Economics, Are
Called to Garner Facts

President Wilson will carry with him
70 the peace conference as thoroughly
eouinped an organization of experts
ceocraphical. economic and political
as any nation represented at that
gathering.
Some hint OF the extent of his pre-
nsrstions for his role at the great in
ternational gathering what ever it
may be-was revealed yesterday in
detailed statement, authorized by the
American Geographical Society. More
than 150 specialists in history, ma
tionaities, industries and political
economy have been at work for months,
gathering facts 10 be used by the
American peace delegates to support
the arguments of the President when
he addresses the conference.
The investigation has been in
progress since Colonel House began
his quest for peace information in
September, 1917. The expenses. which
are said 20 have been large, were pro
vided from the special emergency fund,
placed by Congress at President Will
sons disposal. The investigation Of
the experts has been officially known
a. Washington as the inquiry"
Scope of the Work
The various steps and scope Of the
inquiry. as pictured by the Geographic
cal Society, we're as follows:
at was soon evident thai the scope
of the inquiry would demand not only a
personnel of size and quality hitherto
unknown in any such work, but head
quarters where safety from enemy ae-
tivity of records and secret documents
could be assured The inquiry has
worked in the closest touch with the
Military Intelligence Division There
organization for many kinds of re-
search, map making, etc. which could
he immediately utilized. This problem
was finally solved when the American
Geographical Society placed it's build
ing al l56th Street and Broadway and
part of its staff, including it's direc-
tor, Dr. Isaiah Bowman, at the disposal
Of the inquiry without cost
The work from that date, November
10, 1917, got really under way, and has
proceeded under careful guard night
sidered vital owing to experiences at
other peace conferences, notably that
after the Franco Prussian War 1t
considered necessary, too, to abst~-n
from publication of details Of the work
Of the inquiry until its results were
safely on shipboard. A large part of
them are now on the way TO Europe.
and by the time the President. the other
peace commissioners and their staffs.
together with the twenty-three mem
hers of the inquiry, arrive in France
the material used will be ready for
them,
Three Army Truck Loads
The main body Of it left tho build
ing Of the American Geographical So
elety IN three army trucks on Monday,
December 2. Other results Of the work
are already in Paris, where Colonel
House has been arranging the prelim-
lnaries of the forthcoming conference
Similar inquiries have been In
progress abroad, notably in France and
England. There have been frequent
conferences for delivery Of material
and exchange OF views, marked BY a
spirit of friendly cooperation through
out Some Of the material from Europe,
such, for example, as the complete
sexts Of important treaties signed
since the beginning of the var, has
never been made public.
Primarily the inquiry has heen a
lact study, conducted in scientific
spirit by specialists and scholars. both