Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1919-04-26
THE PEACE CONFERENCE.

! The situation at the Peace Confer
cncc in Paris is pulling to the aver
age person, who seeks information
from thc newspapers. The body has
been in session since last January eli
dcavoring to make peace among them
Selves" that is to reach basis of
unanimous agreement 50 that when
. tho German plcnipotentiaries are
present, they will be able to be in a
posi- ion to present plans and demands
as whole that will represent tho
united opinion of the Allies.
To to this time, they have not hccn
abe to do this and although an agree
mcnt as to the date upon which they
are TO meet tho Germans has been
agreed upon, 1t is evident that the
Allies will bo split among thcmsclv-
Is when these diplomats arrive at
Versailles or Paris. In order to UNI
dcrs and the situation, it will BIO
we'll to refer to past events. In order
to bring the fearful slaughter Of men
to a close, President Wilson submit
ted to the Tcutonic Allies cclcbrat-
cd document containing fourteen
points or specifications, which the
Germans were required to accept.
Some people were of tho opinion
that this basis for Il peace agreement
originated, wholcly and solely with
President Woodrow Wilson, but it
has since developed that they were
, approved in England and then final
ly asscntcd to by all OF the Allies,
with tho distinguished American
Chief Executive as spokesman. Ono
Of the requirements was that Il stable
government, minus tho Kaiser should
be organized to treat for peace as the
Allies refused to deal with the mill
tary dictatorship that Kaiser Wilhelm
represented. After much parlcying,
all of tho Toutonic Allios accepted
these Fourteen Points and Germany
proceeded to have tho Kaiser abdi-
cate.
This was followed by tho organiza-
ton Of popular Government with
4 Socialist occupying tho highest
position In this German Republic.
With the acceptance Of these forms,
tho trouble began for the Allies. Ger
many had been trying for many
months to get the Allies together at
the Peace table, being we'll informed
as to the disagreemcnts and Jealous
les exist Ting between them. But the
Allies had skillfully avoided all
such attempts and only came together
for the negotiation Of peace when tho
financial resources had been almost
exhausted and when tho government
of the United States had become in q
great measure wearied over strug-
glo that was costing millions Of dol
lars and thousands Of lives Of the
bost men OF this Republic.
But Germany was exhausted too.
An armisticc was signed that awak-
cned bitter resentment in Germany
On account of tho rigorous nature OF
its terms, but tho diplomats over
there took another chance. They
hoped to reap results from the dis
scns'on among tho allies themselves
at the Peace Conference. The Allies
understood this and they decided to
anticipate trouble by having a peace
conference among themselves before
hn n ~ q
and their allies. After four months
conference, they are still far from
reaching unanimous agreement.
What Is the cause OF this?
In order to hold their allies togcth-
or, it was necessary to make secret
agreements with them. China had
entered into secret agreements with
Japan. Great Britain in order to get
Italy to forsalxe Germany entered in
to secret agreements with that coun-
try, plcdging its support morally
financially and by force Of arms.
Other countries had been promised
similar favors in order to have them
stand together. When the several re-
representatives. met, they proceeded to
bring up these secret agreements
that were in conflict with the -Four
, teen Points and that were antagonis-
tic to the interests Of the many in
dependent republics that were boing
fashioned and formed by the Allies in
their rcctfication Of frontiers and
tho recognition Of tho many rcpub
lies.
Italy had been promised moro than
any other country by Great Britain,
but much OF the area OF land promls,
ed to her was included in tho now re
public OF tho CZcchs and tho Jugo-
Slavs, Moreover. the agreement enter