New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1919-01-18
FULL PUBLICITY Is
CONSIDERED BEST
So Says Supreme War Council in
Message to World


peace conference was issued last eve
ming.
'"The president of the United States
of America, the prime ministers and
foreign ministers of the allied great
powers. assisted by the Japanese am
hassadors in Paris and London. met
at the Quai d'Orsay Yesterday in the
morning from 1890 a. m. to 1890 p.
n. and in the afternoon from to
$50.
THE French president of the coun-
eli read out the renewal of the terms
of the armistice.
1.-THE meeting decided to give Bel
GUM and Serbia three delegates each
at the conference. 1t was decided
also that the King of the Hedjas
should be represented by two dele
gates. The question of the number OF
delegates for the various powers thus
was finally established.
- THE program for the opening con-
ference, which will take place at the
foreign office today at o'clock in the
afternoon, was afterward arranged.
THE meeting finally examined into
the question of the publicity to he
given to the discussions of the con-
terence and unanim ouSly approved
the following text TO be handed to the
press in the name of the five great
powers:
The representatives Of the allied
and associated powers have given
earnest consideration to the question
of publicity for the proceedings of the
peace conference. They are anxious
that the public. through the press,
should have the fullest Information
compatible with the safeguarding of
~ ito4o Of oil xH-INi Nh
that a just and honorable settlement
should be arrived at with the mini
mum of delay.
at is, however. obvious that pub
LEFTY with regard to the preliminary
conversations now proceeding must
be subject to the limitations necessar-
lily imposed by the difficult and deli
cate nature of their object The pro-
ceedings of a peace conference are far
more analogous to the meetings of
cabinet than to those of a legislature.
Nobody has ever suggested that Cabi-
net meetings should be held in pub
lie, and If they were SO held the work
of government would become impos-
sible.
One reason why cabinets are held
In private is In order that differences
may be reconciled and agreements
reached before the stage Of publicity
is begun. The essence of the demo-
cratic method is not that the DELHI
erations of a government be CONDUCT
ed in public but that it's conclusions
he subject to the consideration of a
popular chamber and to free ana
open discussion on the platform and
by the press
- Representatives of the allied and
associated powers are holding con-
4H .olr to
which affect the vital interests OF
many nations and upon which they
may at present hold many diverse
views. These deliberations cannot
proceed by the method of a majority
vote. No nation can be committed
excSpt by the free vote of it's own
delegates The conclusions arrived
at In these consultations, therefore.
can only be formed by the difficult
process of reaching an agreement
among all
This vital process would only be
Numbered If the discussion of every
disputed question were open by a
public declaration by each delegation
of it's own national point of view.
Such a declaration would in many
cases be followed by premature public
controversy.
:" This would be serious enough If
It were confined to controversy be- |
tween parties within each state. 1t
might be extremely dangerous if. as
would be inevitable, it resulted in con-
/ troversy between nations.
" Moreover, such public declara-
tons would render the give and take |
on the part of the delegates them
selves. which is essential to q success !
Z full negotiation, matter of infinitely |
Agreater difficulty. It is also extremely |
Kim ortant that these all should not !
be only just. but speedy.
:" Every belligerent power is anx-
8ous for the early conclusion of peace |,
n order that its armies may be de-
Lnobilized and that it may return once /
more to the ways of peace.
If a premature publicity is given !
Ito the negotiations the proceedings OF |
the peace conference would be inter
@nlinably protracted and the delegates
would be forced to speak not only Of ;,
he business before the conference but
concern themselves with the con-
= rovt4rsies which had been raised by |
he account Of their proceedings out
hide.
" Finally, there will often be very
ktrong reasons against announcing
fine conclusions of the conversations |
> they are arrived at. The repre-
sentatives of a nation may be willing
0 give their assent on one point, only
Crowded that they receive conces-
sion on another point which has not
ct been discussed. It will not be pos
@fible to Judge of the wisdom and JUS
tfce of the peace settlement until it
IAN be viewed as a whole and, pre-
nature announcements might lead to
#nisapprehensiOns and anxiety as to
N hesAultimate resultS for which there |