The Washington times., 1919-03-18
ALLIES IN LINE ON
LEAGUE OF NATIONS
(COntinued from First Page

10 the French and British efforts to
impose restrictions upon German e1-
Lorts and imports along lines pub
lished in last weeks dispatches.
PRESIDENT Wilson held a two-hour
session yesterday with Messrs. BaruciI
mccormick, Lamont, Strauss, Hoover.
| Davis, and Robinson, the latter repre.
Eenting Mr.. Hurley, in Colonel Houses
rooms. He heard the details of the
American economic and financial pro-
gram as to the peace treaty and gave
II hearty approval He heard sympa-
thetically the pleas OF the French
and Belgian induStrialists to have
| their German competitors restrained
| during the peri0 of recuperation,
eut he feared that such efforts would
rave grave retarding effect upon the
worlds return TO economic equilib-
rum. and decided that it would be
better to care for special cases by
reparational payments rather than
attempt any interference with the free
play Of commerce.
To End War Talk.
The result OF his attitude, which is
practically certain to be made part OF /
the peace terms, will be finally TO end !
the talk Of "war after the war" and |
will enable Germany to have unhan-
pered access to the worlds markets,
save for the prejudice which she has
herself created against her interests
and such difficulties as befall her due !
TO lack OF land and water transporta-
tion.
Lest it be thought that pity for the !
Teutonic nation has calculated the
American position, it should be said |
that no such thought is in the minds of |
the members OF the mission. On the
contrary, the impelling force lay in
the obvious fact that, unless Germany
were permitted to do business, she |
would be unable to pay debts and also
because restriction upon any section |
Of. an economic structure is certain to
react unfortunately upon other por-
tions.
The question Of reparationa was not
gone into because of the lack Of time,
but will be taken up tomorrow.
Six Hours with Council.
President Wilson put in almost sax
hours at the Council Of Ten this after
noon and evening discussing military
terms and the German-Polish bound
aries. No decision was reached on
the latter subject, but approval ws5
given to the military outlines. includ-
ing restrictions upon the German
army. navy, and air forces. Three |
points, however. were left open, being |
those to which exception was taken |
by Admiral Benson. They are regu- |
latiOns concerning Heligoland, Kiel /
and disposal of the German war fess. !
They will be closed tomorrow AMI |
those who are best informed say tn At /
the American views probably will pre- |
vail.
Italy's political and territorial claims !
are being showed aside by the i'm |
rortance of economic conditions, fuel |
and food rapidly approaching the van |
ishing point in the peninsula. 1t !
was to that purpose that Premier Or
lando held his fourth interview with |
President Wilson last night.
The British have come around to |
full support Of the Presidents insist /
ence that the conference rules be |
lived up to and the league Of nations /
be part Of the German terms. Lord |
Cecil and Leon Bourgeois both as
sured President Wilson Of the support |
of their countries, and Premier Gle
menceau, in the same vein. informed
President Wilson that NJ. Pichon had
been misunderstood" which is the
approved diplomatic usage in getting
out from under.
Statement suppFessed.
In that connection no French paper
was permitted to print n. Pichon's
statement. in which he said
that the league could not be included
in the German treaty. Prompt with
drawal OF the French official from the
position he had assumed saved what
might have been a serious situation,
for the Americans, from President
Wilson down, were aroused by his
action.
Our missions reports Of Ambassador
Ishii's speech regarding Japan and
he League Of Nations do not show
the speaker in a threatening role, and
an official spokesman from the Amer
ican delegation told me that no OBJ
stacles were expected from Japan's
representatives here, although others
thought that Ishii may have intended
to add strength to the opposition to
the league in America by showing an
other seeming dissensiOn.
japan purposes asking assurances
that she will not be Disseminated
against racially under the league con-
but no fear is felt that she