The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-01-17
Paris Is Scene of Greatest Po-
1itical Fight on Today.
Russian Question Brings on a
Gigantic Struggle.
AND THE BATTLE is IN SECRET
General Problem Is Right OF
Sell Determination.
Specific Scrap Is Appliance of
Principle to Russia.

ParlS, Jan. iI--Ihe greatest pO-
liticaI battle of modern times was be-
ing fought out here today-in secret
This struggle centered on the Russian
situation. Its outcome was believed
to hinge largely on the result of the
newspaper correspondents fight for
publicity of the peace proceedings
The general question at stake was
the right of a people to self-determina-
ton. The specific question was the
application of this vital principle to
Russia. This matter was being dis
cussed alongside THE problem of open
or secret diplomacy. If the correspond
ents win their fight for admission to
the conferences, the nature of the
other big conflict will soon become
apparent
given to America by the United Press
| recently, when it revealed the fact that
the peace delegates were divided as to
whether fair inquiry should be made
into Russian affairs with a view to
offering cooperation or whether the
conference should act on the assump-
| ton that the situation is exactly as
has been painted by hostile propaganda
| lists and that investigation is unneces-
| sary.
Back to Old Method.
Further inkling came when the
| French Socialist newspaper Humanite
picked out of the air (this is literally
possible in these wireless days) the
| text of Foreign Minister Pichons re-
| sponse to Great Britains proposal for
| at least partial recognition of the
| soviet government, revealing an evil
| dent effort to use the old method OF
secret diplomacy to dispose of matters
as vital as the Russian question.
It was explained today that the mat
| ter of sending an allied commission
| to Investigate Russian conditions is be-
| ing held in allegiance because of the
| illness of Colonel House. This is only
part of the reason. The other part il
! the sudden realization in certain quar-
| terS that such move would mean a
least partial recognition of the present
| Russian government. Unless the dele
gates are able to devise some form o.
I inquiry that would eliminate all pos
sibiitty of its being construed as an,
form OF recognition, it is possible tha
no investigation of Russian problem,
will be undertaken until after the full
peace congress votes on it-and theI
only in case the advocates of an in
quiry outvote their opponents.
Principle Is on Trial.
Russia's case puts on trial at the
outset of the conferences the princi
|
tain to be bitter since it involves tn,
question of right OF any nation t
launch an entirely new form of gov
| ernment; in this instance, an indus
trial democracy.
A certain royal parsonage, speakin,
to the correspondent a few days ago
remarked, IF Russia had taken tn,
direction of a political democrac,
there would be no question of recog
ni2ing< it's government. regardless o
sallegations of atrocities and terrorism
Ehut nobody knows where this indus
lAria1 democracy will lead" He ais
Remarked that the trouble with tn
/ sovie. government is that it is "doini
too damned we'll"
/ So far as the American delegate
are concerned, there are no signs o
sympathy for the soviet regime, bu
they are alive to the danger of tn
peace conference working in the darl
on vital matter. This is responsible
fo- their determination to find som
methCC Of throwing light on the Rus
sian situation. Sending of a commits
sion of investigation seems to be ia
vored by the Americans at present. tn
there is some talk of inviting repre-
sentatives of the soviets to come I
Paris and state their case.
In the meantime, Colonel House
still i'll and the first step toward en-
tightening the world-as well as tn
peace delegates themselves-may be
success of the fight to make good o
] President Wilson's first point