Omaha daily bee., 1919-04-09
The Conference and the Peace
London Times. March II.

| and the allies have undertaken to allow them a
supply of foodstutfs and even to resume their
| foreign trade under certain limitations. While
humanitarian considerations enter largely. into
solid grounds of sclf-interest for the allies
| This is the more satisfactory as competent
observers, like Bishop Frodsham, who writes to
us today, are not all agreed that Germany is
SO near starvation as its representatives assert
and as the allies appear willing to believe. A
large amount OF new tonnage--it is stated to be
| 100000 tons--will become available for the
urgent business of feeding all the hungry peo
piles, and if the blockade is to be partly raised
and the Germans are to be permitted to export
certain commodities, they will be obliged to de-
vote the proceeds of this trade to paying the
allies for the food supplied to them But pay
ment is secured by other means as well. The
cost of the foodstuffs will be charge upon
German credits in neutral countries, and Ger
many must deposit 9l800o0O0 in gold in the
National Bank of Belgium within few days.
1t is not anticipated that this sum will have to
be drawn upon, as it is expected that Germany
will be able to earn the successive instalments
of food supplied to it, or will be able to pay for
them out Of its credits. 1t is believed. accord
ngy, that the whole of the great gold reserve
which it has heaped up, and which is said to be
f10O0O0000, will remain available for the
reparation to be exacted from it. 1t is hoped
that today the conference will finally settle the
naval, military and air terms of the preliminary
peace. The anxiety to have it signed at an early
date is so great both sides of the Atlantic
that some disappointment seems to have been
felt in Paris because this group of terms was
not discussed at Saturdays sitting of the coun-
Gil of TO- There are strong reasons why the
peace should be completed for presentation to
the Germans with the least possible delay, but
President Wilson, we feel sure, is alive as
any European statesman can be to the ex-
pediency Of this course, and, if he asked to
have the debate on Saturday deferred he had
grounds for the request. The terms had been
considerably altered-largely on the suggestion
of Mr.. Lloyd George-during his visit to Amer
lea, and he desired to study them attentively
before they formally sanctioned There are
still important subjects, such as territorial adj
justments and finance, to be settled after these
military matters have been determined, and the
democracies are getting impatient. Our Wash
ington correspondent assures us that opinion in
the United States is absolutely content" with
the proposed terms. so far as they are known
and that it is overwhelmingly opposed to
procrastinatiop over the conclusion of the pre-
liminary peace.
America sees in the righteous stringency Of
those terms strong argument for the necessity
of league of nations. They require sanction
behind them, and only such league can pro-
vide it. A comparison of the passages in our
Paris and Washington messages which treat of
the present attitude of the president and of
American opinion towards the league and the
covenant of the league reveals some remark
able differences OF judgment On the one hand
our Paris correspondent asserts that Mr. Will
sons first public action since his return has
been to issue statement in which he declares
that the establishment of league OF nations
according to decision OF the plenary confer
of January 2S is an integral part of the
peace treaty, that this decision must be regarded
as final, and that there is no reason to believe
it will be modified. Some Americans in Paris
it is said, 60 farther. They assert that the pres
ident means to press for the inclusion of the
actual covenant in the peace terms. On the
other hand, our very cautious and well-informed
Washington correspondent tells that the
public dlsbelieve statement made by New
York newspaper that the president is opposed
to the amendment of the covenant and to the
postponement of further consideration upon it
until after the preliminary peace. Nearly every
body, he assures US, believe that the covenant
must be carefully amended and he adds that
France and Great Britain are known to desire
amendment. Our Paris correspondent seems
possible and expedlent in the circumstances as
that which we ventured to suggest the other
day. He cannot bring himself to suppose that
America intends to advocate the inclusion of
sideration of that subject, in the preliminary
peace treaty. The proceedings on January Is,
he shows, do not support any contention that
the constitution should be SO included. 1t was,
indeed, resolved, on the motion of NJ. Cemen-
ceau, that the creation of league of nations is
essential to safeguard peace, and that such
creation should be all integral portion of the
general treaty of peace. A commission was ap-
pointed to consider the question, and, as we all
remember, at a later plenary sitting of the con-
ference the draft covenant of the league was
produced and read But, great as was the favor
with which the principles of the draft were
then received, it was made clear that the docu-
ment was draft and no more than draft
and that it remained subject to the discussion
and amendment which, in the opinion of expert
dlplomatsts and international lawyers, is ur-
gently required. 1t was clear then, and it is
clearer now. that this process must take time
Our Washington correspondent in his account
OF the controversy on the subject in America
says it is complained that the supporters of the
covenant as it stands fail to explain it "bv other
than generalities."
We refrain altogether from comment upon
the party discussions in the United States, but |
we may observe that nothing could be more
dangerous than great international instrument
which should really be open to such criticism.
Such document ought to be absolutely clear
and tree from antiquities, and to insure clear
ness and certainty a subject so novel and of
such vast compleXity, minute consideration and
careful craftsmanship are indispensable. The
answer to rumors which Paris correspon-
dent describes causing ALARM" seems so
obvious that we are quite unable to understand
why there should be alarm. We have given it
already. Let the broad outlines of the league
OF nations be embodied by all means in the |
preliminary treaty, but let the detailed provi-
prehenslve of all international covenants be re-
served for the full consideration so great work
demands.