Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-01-16
AnglO-SdrOns Urge
Lifting Peace Veil
Continued from Page One

Continued from Page One
open when business is advanced 10 a
point where II can be regarded as
ready for final action. II may be.
however, that in the earlier stages.
when subjects are being discussed be-
tween groups or in committees or In
meetings of all the delegates with a
purpose Of reaching agreements on
controversial phases, II would be In
advisable to conduct these discussions
openly. There might never be an
agreement otherwise.
That would not be secret diplomacy
in any sense. however. for no agree
ment so arranged could be effective
until approved by all the delegates
in open session.
The complaints which the British cor
respondents have made to Mr.. LLOYD
George and which the Americans have
submitted to Mr.. Wilson concede that
It may be incompatible with public in.
terest to disclose certain phases OF con-
trovers'al questions while they are being
discussed. but protest against the gen
| tleman's agreement" which forbds any
one of the delegates from giving in
4 formation whatever. outside OF the OF.
fetal statement, on which public opinion
may be formed and guided.
Official circles in Paris are not dis.
cussing peace nor terms today. Atten-
| tion is occupied with the question
whether there will be a reconsideration
OF the action of yesterday.
No Discussion by ENJOYS
| Announcement was made late yester-
day that an agreement had been made
/ to confine the information given to the
public TO a daily official comnunique and
/ that a gentlemen's agreement prevailed
among the delegates not to discuss or in
any way give Information OF the meet
ings in the Foreign Office.
No written official ANNOUNCEMENTS O,
this purposc was issued, but word was
passed to this effect, ana it was followed
bl an explosion Of protests which quite
drowned out the donss of the peace COM
misSiOuers.
The understanding s that the Amer
lean and British delegates opposed this
decision. but that the French. Italians
and Japanese, voting togetheH pre-
vailed
The British newspaper correspondents
Immediately Joined In a memorial OF
protest, which they put before Premier
LLOYD George. The American newspa-
per correspondents united in what is
I virtually a round robin to President
Wilson, in which they protested in
measured terms against tho decision
and reminded the President that one OF
his fourteen points specifies "open COW
enants Of peace openly arrived at"
viii Issue One Communique
Hitherto IT has been the practice OF
the Governments taking part in the pre-
Ilin,iuary peace conversations to issue
separate communicates regarding ehe
proceedings From today il has beer
decided 10 issue Il joint communique
and the follow ng is the English text ot
ycstc rday's communique adopted by the
| British and American delegations:
The President of the United states
and the Prime Minister'S and Foreign
| Ministers of the Allied Powers as
sisted by the Japanese ambassadors
| in Paris and London, held two meet
ings today. In the course of these
| meetings the examination of the rules
of the conference has been continued
| and almost completed.
Il was decided that tho United
states, the British mpire, France.
Italy and Japan should be represented
| by five delegates apiece. The British
dominions and India besides shall be
| represented as follows: Two delegates,
| respectively, FOR Australia. Canada,
South Africa and India, including the
| native States, and one delegate FOR
/ New Zealand.
| Brazil will have three delegates.
| Belgiun1 china, Greece. Poland, Por-
| tugal, the C2echo- Slovak Republic. Ru-
| mania and Serbia will have Two dele
| gates apiece, siam one delegate and
l. Cuba, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras.
| Liberia. Nicaragua and Panama one
delegate apiece.
/ Montenegro will have one delegate.
but the rules concerning the dcslgna-
l. tion of this delegate shall not be fixed
| until the moment when the political
| situation in this country shall have
been cleared VI.
Two Principles Adopted
The meeting adopted the follow ing
| two general principles: ne-Each
delegation being Il unit the number
OF delegates forming it shall have no
! influence upon it's Status at the con-
= ference. Two--In the selection Of its
i delegation each nation may avail itself
= of the panel system This will en-
a. able each State al discretion TO w.
. trust its interests 20 such persons as
:, II may designate,
u The adoption Of the panel system
will in particular enable the British
II Empire to admit among its five dele
u gates representatives of the dominions,
o Including Newfoundland, which has 10
separate representation.
Jugo-S -Siavs File Protest
/, Serbia cannot take part In the PeaC
e Conference unless represented IN a sci
II arate delegation from the combine
= Serbo- observation-disclosures State, the JugC
- Slav committee here declares in a pre-
l. test issued against the decision of II
e Supreme Council to admit delcgat,
!c from the kingdom of Serbia, but not {
the United Kingdom of the, Serbs, Croa
n and Slovenes.
. The committee declares this actio
10 threatens to provoke a conflict whio
!, might have serious consequences and Il
la refusal to accept tile delegates OF Il
,n united Jugo-Slav States would make
D. impossible for Serbia herself 10 partic
Il pate in the conference.
-e The protest concludes b. saying III;
n the council in arriving at its dccisc
,b did not take into account the new Sit
nj alton in Serbia and thus viii be oblgC
n TO examine into the question anew.
~ Armistice Negotiations
Marshal Foch. the Allied commando
~ in-chief arrived In rreyes Wednesdi
morning for the meeting with the Gre