El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-01-16
us. DELEGATES
FIGHT SECRECY
Oppose the French Italian
Plan To Keep People Ig-
norant of Conference.
lContlnued fEom - u

I Cd OF handling the situation in the
= central empires.
The big question is: VIII En-
rope stand still while statesmen
talk. or viii the associated gov
ernments realize that their repre-
sentatives ought TO be working
night and day instead OF semf-oe-
ensionally on these the most vital
problems in all hisforys
only the peoples everywhere car
make their representative get down
10 business
President Wilson has told his
French. Italian and Japanese col
leagues that he il unable TO ac-
eept their proposal that the pro-
ccedinEs or the peace conference
shall be limited to single com
munique daily. beyond which the
: press will be unauthorized 10 pub
fish anything.
AIR. Wilson stated clearly he had
promised the American people that the
proceedings would be open. and while
ne realized informal preliminary con-
terences must necessarily be private
to reach agreements, he could not sup
port the view that restrictions should
De placed upon press The British pO-
sltlon was practically the same as that
OF the United States
The whole atmosphere has been
changed over night by the tentative
decision 1avorinE secret diplomacy.
People in America who are accustomed
to think Of France having been griev-
ousiF Wrongeus and soldiers who
fought for her men and women may
not be familiar with the designs OF
reactiOnary statesmen. whose only
chance 10 perpetuate themselves po-
ltically is i'm keeping the people ig-
norant Of proceedings, but would con-
sent TO the present censorship i'm
posed on their own newspapers by
French leaders.
in actual practice the decision
means that French Spokesman viii be
able secretly 10 advance any PROPOSE
ton they please, arguing before their
colleagues that Il represents public
opinion in France which, however.
could not manifest itself to the others.
some French leaders, for example. are
very anxious to get the territory on
the left bank OF the Rhine. which
American commentators have often
argued the French would never want.
even though mentioned in the famous
secret treaties published by Russia
nevertheless. there is an active move
ment favorlng the proposition OF the
old French-Russiau treaty now going
on and il is believed that a formal
proposal VIII be made at the peace
conference Should such fact be dis
cussed by public opinion in France.
outside statesmen would have Oppor-
tunity TO observe whether annexation
lists plans were approved by the
French people.
Perhaps the most serious factor
or all now f. the point of issue OF
open diplomncy- President VIII
son and Lloyd George feel abso-
lutely pledged TO keep the peoples
OF their countries advised. The
Italians support the French secret
methods. but II Italian people who
are similarly kept under censor
ship knew the attitudes OF the
government, there would be oh
tecfions.
The trouble is that. under the cen
aorship existing in those countries. I
every decision viii be made to appear
unanimous For example. assiduo1s F.
Effort is being made in certain French +
papers supporting the government 20 /
make It appear that the allies al
agree constantly on Russia