Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1918-12-19
Great Britain and Mr.: Wilson
Likely to Agree as; to the
Erection Of Seas" -,sa
.ENGLAND's POSITION STATED.
Allies viii Demand That Germany Pay.
Their War Bill Of $12o, o,0o0, ,oQ0Qoo
CONDITIONS in Land of, Hune.:ss;
Still Are chaotic-Presi;
dent Reaches y.
France. Il. !,
BY EDWARD w. PIcKARp.

oy eOWAhO w. plCNAhO.
There are Indications In the dis
patches from Europe that the biggest
problems Of the peace conference may
be solved more easily and ashicab1y'
than had been feared. Thevgreatest
of these, possibly is the matter Of .tife
freedom of the seas The Germans,
and certain others Ind been ftfpping
that this rather nebulous question
would be the cause of trouble be
tween America and Great Britain and
there is no doubt that the British
have been preparing to contend firhfiS
that they must not give up thesweapoh
that really saved the world fronr,,the
Huns and that Is so necessary tO..the
safety of their widespread empire.
Their public men, from Lloyd George.
down. all have said this frankly with
out waiting for President Wilson to
define publicly just what lie means by
the phrase freedom of the, sens
London now processes to have assdr-
9ance that the differences between Nh.
Wilson and the British in this .lnatten.
will not be difficult of adjustment
Sir Frederick E. Smith. attorney
general, expressed succinctly Britain's
attitude when he said: II am not
sure that Great Britain will not lrlfe
to say to the allies at the peace con-
ference: We shall be quite satisfied
with such definition of freedom Of
the seas as will enable the British
navy in the unfortunate event of fur.
ture wars to do exactly what the Brft--
ish navy, aided by the American NAVY
has been doing for the last eighteen
months" -
The premier himself, addressing n
meeting at Bristol, said emphatieallx:::
wherever the request comes FROM.
we are not going to give up the. pro-
lection of the navy. so far as Great
Britain is concerned
-Ea-
1t is to be regretted that some voices
are being raised in England as we'll as
in America in favor of a soft peacess
for fear the German people. will-.he
resentful On this question L]osdI
George again may be quoted. Reiter-
Ating his declaration that Germany
should pay to tlie utmost limit of her.
capacity, he said the war bill of the
allies against the Huns is Sl2O.00O,' :
100000. The whole wealth of Ger
many. as estimated before the war,
would fall short OF this sum by-.bee'
tween twenty and forty-five. billlans..
However. the premier says the allies
propose to exact the entire cost Of.
the war from Germany, that 1t can be
exacted in sDcll IL way that 1t will do
no more harm to the country that re-
ceives it than to the country. that pays
1t. and that the demands Of the all
lies must come in front of the German.
national war debt. A British commits
sion already has reported on Ger.
many's capacity to pay.
Belgium. France and the other. vic.
torious nations of Europe, IT may BE
assumed. are no less determined. .tifafi'
is Great Britain to compel Germany
to stand the full cost of the fearful.
conflict she started. 1t Is likely. France.
will occupy the German lands west of.
the Rhine until payment has been
made.
-
Belgium probably will come out Of,
the war greater in territory than when
she went in. She intends to ask the
restoration Of the parts Of the pf6sss "
,inces of Limburg and Luxemburg
which went to Germany and Holland
BY the international treaty Of 1889,
and also 70 ask that the Dutch return
the land which includes the lower
'echeldt.