The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-01-31

What he SAID dld not appear IN the
official communique, nor has it been dis
closed with any official authority, but it
may be stated that it was a very clear
reaffirmation of the principles for which
the president has previously contended. In
phrases stripped of diplomatic niceties,
IL is understood, Mr.. Wilson told the
mambers of the supreme council he
you'd not be party to division of Ger
many's colonial possessions among the
powers which now hold them, and then
become party to league of nations
which, In effect would guarantee their til
tie. There are inferences that the pres
ider.t even refused to peace Of "loot."
The net result Of the past two days
of discussion on the colonial question in
the opinion Of many Americans here, has
been to clear the atmosphere generally
and to force clear definition of aims on
all sides.
Paris, Jan. 3l.-The agreement reached
by the allied council of ten on the colo
NAL question, according to a Hsvas
agency statement to-day, provides that
territories which are sufficiently civilized
to give an expression of their wishes as
to the form of their government viii be
permitted to set up such government
under the auspices of the league of ma
tions, obtaining either national independ-
ence or living under protectorate Of
one or other of the great powers. Arabia
and Mesopotamia are considered to be
examples of this class.
In the case of peoples insuficiently
developed for self government, the state
ment explains, the league shall choose
the power most suitable to govern, under
certain guarantees to be fixed either by
the peace conference or the league. Pro-
visionally the African and the Far East
ern colonies shall be left as they are now,
in control of the powers now occupying
them.
As regards Asiatie Turkey, the state
ment adds, the four great powers are to
undertake its administration at once,
and the council of ten has asked the Yer
sailles war council to submit a report
as to the best troops available for the
occupation of this Turkish area.
Paris, Thursday, Jan. 30.--In the dis
y
cussions concerning the disposal of the
former German colonies, President Will
son contended in no uncertain terms that
to divide the colonies among the en-
tente nations would be in direct contra
vention of the IA points" which were
accepted as a basis of peace. Such di-
vision, he is said to have added, also
would violate the principles of the league
'of nations as laid down at the peace con-
ference last Saturday.
The American attitude, it is declared,
is very positive, and in case the powers
insisted upon dividing the colonies among
them might be such that it would prob
ably affect the whole future Of the peace
conference. President Wilson, it is un-
derstood, still holds to his original opin-
ion that it would be scarcely worth while
for the United States to participate in
the negotiations unless league of ma
tions, with the accompanying princi-
pies, were provided for in making peace,
The general public probably viii not
see full report of yesterdays session of
the supreme council, which will probably
have historic significance, until after the
treaty of peace is signed, if at all.