Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1919-01-16
BAN ON PUBLICITY AR0USES
Council Decision Upsets Correspondents President Viii
and Lloyd George Said To Have Strongly Opposed
Rule-Round Robins And Protests To Be Made To-day
United States And Great Britain Issue Joint Com
munique Nevertheless.
IRenuhIlcan A. p. Leased Wirel


PARIS, Jan. 15.-The question
whether the peace conference is to be
secret or wholly open to the eyes and
ears of the world the settlement of
which has been long awaited, was
brought to a focus today when 1t was
announced an agreement had been
made TO confine information given to
the public to a daily official commu-
nique, and that a geptleman's agree
ment prevailed among the delegates
not to discuss, or in any way give in
formation of the meetings in the for
eign office.
No written official announcement of
this purpose was issued, but word was
passed out to this effect and it was
followed by an explosion of protests,
which drowned out the doings of the
peace commissioners.
The understanding is that the Amer
lean and British delegates opposed this
decision, but that the French, Italians
and Japanese, voting together, pre-
vailed.
The British newspaper correspond
ents Immediately joined in memorial
of protest. which they put before Pre-
mier Lloyd George. The American
newspaper correspondents united III
what is virtually a round robin to
President Wilson, in which they pro-
tested in measured terms against the
decision, and reminded the president
of one of his fourteen points, which
specifies open covenants of peace
openly arrived at"
The memorial was before the presi-
dent tonight, and there is every reason
to believe that such a storm has been
raised as will force the question before
the meeting again, before the actual
sessions of the conference begin Sat
urday morning.
The question of whether the meet
ings are to be open or closed has been
smouldering for several days. 1t is as
socitaed with conditions which have
surrounded the lack of method in max
ing public what has actually been go
ing on in conference for the past
month. The American newspaper cor
respondents, of whom there are about
one hundred here to report the peace
proceedings, have been received in
daily audience by the American COM
missioners under the stipulated con-
ditions that whas developed was solely
for their guidance, and not to be re-
ported as bearing the stamp of author
ity of coming from the mission.
The president himself has rarely
seen any OF the american COTFeSpOn-
dents, and the newspaper men who
have expressed themselves at meet
ing of the organization they have
formed as considering themselves
trustees obligated to inform public
opinion at home of the moves which are
being made here at Paris, have been
chafing at what they characterize as
being kept out of touch with the foun-
tain heads of information, being con-
fined to information disseminated by
an official publicity agent
Meanwhile the French newspapers,
and the British papers having Paris
editions, have been appearing each day
with inside information of the confer
ence, and in some cases have actually
quoted American officials in a manner
from which the American correspon-
dents were requested to refrain.