Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-01-16
DECISIONFOR
PEACE TABLE
SECRECY,HIT
Suppression of News In
cites Protest-Action
to Be Reconsidered.

Paris, Jan. 16.-CBy the As
sOciated Press)-The supreme
council today, after consider
ing the matter of the relations
between the conference and the
present, decided to call a meet
ing ut five o'clock this after
noon to be attended by the
members of the press and rep
reSentatiYeS of the various na-
tiOns in the conference, 10 in
terchange views on publicity
methods.
(The supreme council Of the
peace congress yesterday an
nounced that it had decided that
hereafter all information concern
ing the proceedings would be re-
stricted to an official communique)
The supreme council of the five
greater powers resumed its ses-
sions at 1890 o'clock today.
Protests Bring Reconsideration.
The impression prevailed that
following the protests that have
arisen against the decision of the
council restricting all the news of
its sessions to formal communiques
some explanation or statement on
the matter might appear in to-
nights commUnique to the effect
lures held unconstitutional by the
to the actual proceedings of the
current day and not to any com
ment by the delegates on the gen.
eral question before the council.
The decisions of the supreme
council as regards both publicity
and representation. announced
last night, are freely criticized in
the French newspapers Of this
morning,
lie Journal, commenting on the
question of representation. after
pointing out that the British ard
Americans together have Is votes
out OF the total, asks why, if the
BRITISH dominions are represente
separately, are the French colon
les and protectorates not similarly
represented
"GOssip for News"
As regards the decision on the
publicity question, the Figaro
says:
Tho public must be kept con-
stantly posted on the subjects
dealt with, the questions under
discussion. and the solutions
reached. Reporting by hearsay Is
certain to be dangerous. VIII not
1t be obvious that the results OF
the method adopted will be to sub
sLitute gossip for news?"
Plan is Denounced.
London, Jan. 16.-Morning news
papers give much prominence 20
Paris dispatches referring to the
decision that the proceedings OF
the peace congress are to be Sc
cret and contrast it with the offic-
ial statement that there would be
no censorship which was issued
yesterday. They point out that il
furnishes an ineXplicable puzzle.
None Of the papers comment edi-
tOrially, but the most of them ex-
press surprise and disapproval by
tory sentences.
Action is Protested.
Protests are made that the regu-
latiOn, If maintained, will keep the
public completely in the dark as to
some Of the important features OF
the negotiations. Some believe it
will be difficult to carry out this
'DraConin decision"
= Reuters dispatch from Paris
the situation created by
the decision TO a theatre when the
curtain jams.
Tho stage is set, the actors are
ready and the audience is eager.
but the curtain refuses to budge,"
the dispatch says.
IF the curtain rose premature
ly," the dispatch concludes, ''it
would throw the glare o. the foot
lights on the fact that even among
The five great powers there exists
increasing and not diminishing
1iScUrds,"