The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-01-08
WILL TALK PEACE
First Conferences of Allied
Statesmen ON Tomorrow.
American, British, Italian,
French Ministers VIII Meet. E
GATHER At FOREIGN OFFICE
To Lay Foundation for the Real
Peace Conference.
Then Wilson VIII Take q Rest
After Hard Trips.
;ATHER At FOREIGN OFFICE.

Paris, JAN S-American, British.
italian and French statesmen will hold
their first joint meeting tomorrow.
it was officially announced today.
The conference. which will be in
the foreign office, will be attended
by President Wilson. Secretary Lans-
ing. Foreign Minister Balfour, Lord
Cecil, Premier Orlando. Foreign Min
lister Sonnino. Premier Clemenceau
and Foreign Minister Pichon.
Balfour, Orlando, and Sonnino will
arrive in Paris tonight. The others
are already here.
These conferences with entente
statesmen. which will lay the great
will probably be President Wilson'S
only official activity prior to the be-
ginning of the peace congress- as it
is necessary for him to get some rest
and travelling.
Then Some Golf.
After the formal sessions begin. he
will doubtless play little golf, if the
weather is good, but will deny him
self to all callers and will cut all
other business to minimum. As the
conference approaches the. stage
where informal agreement 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 question-the
league of nations, the freedom Of the
seas, and disarmament-ares stir very
indefinite 1t is true that several
propositions ARE being put forward
for the adjustment of these matters
but there is none having the color Of
official sanction.
If Mr.. Wilson has drawn up any
specific plans he has not divulged
them to anybody and it is known he
is closely studing various suggestions
that are advanced by others. This is
not necessarily to be construed as
meaning that the president is without
definite ideas on the subjects 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 couing
from all sources. 90
Near an Understandings.
Premier Clemenceau and President
Wilson were believed today to be ap-
preaching some understanding regard
ing their apparently conflicting views
on the balance of power and the
league of nations.
The two leaders certainly had an
opportunity to exchange views on this
matter as a result of their unexpected
meeting in the offices of Colonel
House. Great interest is attached to
this meeting, and it was the first time
Clemenceau and Wilson had met since
the formers frank declaration in IA
vor of retention of the balance of
power and the latter's simultaneous
statement in Manchester that this an
cient institution must give way to the
league of nations.
American circles have all along held
the opinion that the divergence in
Clemenceau's and Wilson's views was
mi O-a a mn ant ho md M
both were working toward the same
end, only along different channels
The meeting took place in the Hotel
Crillon at dusk, the president walking
from the Murat palace to the hotel in
a driZZle of rain. He was accompanied
| only by secret service men and was
wholly unrecognized by the \public.
Clemenceau had gone to the hotel to
see Colonel House While the meet
ing was wholly unplanned, it is be-
lieved to have anticipated by only a
few hours a scheduled conference be-
the fUO 1padarS