Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1919-01-18

THE president of the United States
Of America, the prime ministers and
foreign ministers of the allied great
powers. assisted by the Japanese am
bassadors in Paris and London, met
at the Quai d'Orsay today, in the
morning from 1870 a. m. to 1890 p.
M, and IN the afternoon from p. m.
to $50 p. m.
"Tha French president CT the coun-
Gil read out the terms OF the renewal
of the armistice
The meeting decided to give Bel
gium and Sci bia three delegates each
at the confer cnce. 1t WIS decided al
so that the ling of the las should
be represented by two delegates The
question of the number of delegates
fo rthe various powers was thus final
ly established.
THE programme for the opening
conference, which will take place at
the foreign office tomorrow at three
o'clock in the afternoon, was after
wards arranged.
THE meeting finally examined into
the question of the publicity tk be
given to the discussions of the con-
ference and unanimously approved of
the following text to be handed to the
press in the name of the five great
powers;
"'The representatives Of the allied
and associated powers have given
earnest consideration to The question
of publicity fer the proceedings of the
| peace conference. They are anxious
that the pubic through the press
| should have the fullest information
compatible with the safeguarding of
| MT pF T1-Ii &c
| that just and honorable settlement
| should be arrived at with the mini
mum of delay.
, 1t is, however, obvious that pub
licity with regard to the preliminary
| consersatiOns now proceeding must
| be subject to the limitations neces-
| sarily imposed by the difficult and
| delicate nature Of their object. The
proceedings of a peace conference are
! far more analogous TO the meetings
! of n cabinet than to those of a 1egis-
| lature. Nobody has ever suggested
| that cabinet meetings should be held
! in public, and if they were so held
J the work Of government would become
| impossible.
! One reason why cabinets are heIG
| in private is in order thai differences
| may he reccnciled and agreements
! reached before the state If Publicity is
| begun, Tho essence of the demo.
cratic method is not that the delibera.
tons Of a government he concluded il
public. hut that its conclusions be
! subject 70 the consideration OF a DoD
ular chamber and to frea and onel
discussion on the platform md by th,
Nross.
'Reprcsenta tives of the allied am
associated powers are holding conver
Satons in order to solve question
which affect the hfNl interests O
many nations and upon which the,
may ct present bold many diverse
views. Thcae deliberations cannot
proceed by the method Of q majorit,
vote. No nation can be cOmmitte,
except by the free vote Of its owl
delegates. The conclusions arrived
at in thes" consultations therefore
can only be formed by the difficult
process Of reaching an Sgreemen
among all.
This vital process would only b.
hindered if the discussion of ever,
disputed question were opeE by a pub
lie declaration by each deIegat ton o
its own national point of view. SucI
a declaration would in many cases b
followed by premature public contro
versy.
it were confined to controversy be
tween parties within each state. I
might be extremely dangerous if. a
would often be invitable. il resulte
in controversy between nations.
Moreover, such pubic declaration
; would rend"' the give an dtake o.
| the part of the delegates themselves
, which is ssertial to a successful nego
hation. matter of infinitely create
, difficulty. It is also extremely i'm
portant that the settlement shoult
be not only Just but speedp.
Every beliigerent power is anxiou
for the early conclusion OF peace +
order that its armies may he demo
bilized and that it may return ono
more to the ways of reace
: If premature publicity is given t
= the negotiations the procec dings 0
the peace conference would he in
terminably rrotracted and the dele
gates would he forced 10 speak no
only of the business before the con
ference but 70 concern themselves wit
the controversies which had been ra is
ed by the account of their proceeding
outside.
: Finally there will offer be YER
e strong reasons against announcing tn
r conclusions of the cGrve, s2tions a
q they arrived at. The representa-
:, tives Of a ration may be wiIlt<e- +
, give a concession on another poir
which has not yet been discussed.
will not be possible to judge Of tn
t wisdom and justice of the reace set
tIemert until it can be viewed as
. whole, end premature announcement
might Sad to misrepresentation an
anxiety as to the ultimate results fc
which there was no real founda
ton.
t "'Thev recognize that unless pub
o lie opinion approves of the results {
f their labors they will be nugatory.
This reasoning applies with cor
. elusive force to the present conve1
sations between the representative
: of the great powers.
With regard to the full conferenc
= the following rule was adopted:
8 Representatives of the lress sha
| be admitted to the meetings of n
full conference. but upon necessar
occasions the deliberations, the cor
ference may be held IN camera "
NorfoIk-This Is one of the tovr