Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-01-08
us. MENRESUME
CONFERENCES WITH
LORDROBERT CECIL
Precedes Coming ParIeys of
Big Four Powers on Con-
gress Procedure.
MAKEUP OF DELEGATIONS
SOON TO BE ANNOUNCED
Five Americans Are Likely to Have
Seats at the Peace
Table.

PARIS, January s-Seeretary of
State Lansing, Col. E. NJ. House and
Lord Robert Cecil, who has made the
subject of the league of nations a spe-
cial study on behalf of the British gov
ernment, held a long conference today
regarding the details to be worked out
in forming league.
Their conferences followed consulta-
tions between President Wilson and
Col. House last evening.
President Wilson will hold informal
conferences with David Lloyd George,
the British premier; Premier Clemen-
ceau of France and Premier Orlando
of Italy the latter part of this week.
Diplomats to Gather.
(Havas).-PremierO Orlando and For
eign Minister Sonnino of Italy and
Premier Lloyd George and Foreign
Minister Balfour of Great Britain are
expected here soon to confer with
Premier Clemenceau and Foreign Min
lister Pichon.
1t is probable that the members of
the various delegations will be Off
cially announced before the end of
this week.
owing to the fact that peace nego-
tiations are to begin soon. the official
visit of Prince Regent Alexander Of
Serbia has been postponed. He will,
however. come here incognito. for a
brief visit.
Exchange Of Views First.
PARIS. Tuesday, January THE
peace conference, according to present
arrangements, will open with an ex-
change of views between the ministers
of the four great powers concerning
organization. composition and pro-
cedure. These exchanges are expected
to take ND the time from January ~
to January 16. In the event 6f All
agreement being reached on january
Is there will be a plenary meeting at
which all the powers who broke rela-
At that time the definite
OF the delegations OF each
nation will be settled.
1t is virtually certain that France,
Great Britain. the United States, Italy
and Japan will have five delegates
each. Other nations such as Belgium,
Serbia, Greece, Rumania and Portugal
will have three delegates.
The countries which severed rela-
tions with the central powers and did
not engage directly in the war will
have two representatives.
Building Is Prepared.
The work Of preparing the foreign
Office building Quai d'Orsay meetings
is going on actively. All the rooms
on the groand floor will be used by
the various delegations.
The "cloakroom" will serve for the
ordinary meetings. while the plenary
sessions will be held in the big dining
room. where there is room for 150
persons. Foreign Minister Pichon will
retain only his private Office and the
adjoining room known as the rotunda,
in which the treaty of Paris was
signed. The minister also has given
up his private apartments on the floor
into Offices for the committees and the
secreta ries who will also occupy the
Beauvais room.
Plans Still indefinite.
AS the conferences approaches the
stage where important formal agree
ments which will have an important
bearing on final settlements will be
reached, there seems to be excellent
authority for saying that plans for
the settlement of the most important
questions-the league of nations, the
freedom of the seas and disarmament,
are still very indefinite.
1t is true that several propositions
are being put forward for the adjust
ment of those matters. but there is
none having the color of official sane
tion. If Mr.. Wilson has drawn up
any specific plans, he has not divulged
them to anybody and it is known that
he is closely studying various sug-
gestions that are advanced by others.
This is not necessarily to be con-
strued as meaning that the President
is without definite ideas on the sub
jects under consideration. but rather
that he has been giving thought to
the governing principles and keeping
an open mind SO as to benefit from
ideas coming from all sources.
Commission Gathers Material.
The American commission has been
gathering material constantly and
this is to be ready in memorandum
form for the President when he goes
to the coming conferences. The best
information obtainable as to con-
IereNceS so lar lSlO with bflIlSn ana
Italian statesmen is that they were
very satisfactory, developing no diff
ferenceS as to principles involved. 1t
has been noted that Mr.. Wilson, in all
his speeches, has emphasized the fact
that there is perfect agreement as to
main points.
Those near the President have been
eager to send to America some de-
tailed statement of what has been
accomplished since his coming to Eu-
rope, but 1t has been explained that
negotiations at present are of such
character that it would be unwise to
discuss matters still in the formative
stage
Tentative Proposals Progress.
Considerable progress has been made
on the tentative proposals put for
ward, but in the absence Of President
Wilson these have not taken definite
form, as 1t is recognized that he will
take a leading part in the final formu-
lation of the plan.
Two British plans of this tentative
nature have been presented-one by
Lord Robert Cecil. the other by Lieut..
Gen. ]. c. SmutS of the war cabinet,
The French plan. as formulated by NJ.
Bourgeois, has also been set forth, and
these are being compared by the
American specialists who are prepar-
ing the groundwork for President Will
son.
Lord Robert Cecirs plan outlines a
broad and comprehensive organization
of the league of nations, but thus far
it is in the general terms and has not
yet been reduced to definite terms OF
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