Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-02-24
WILSON'S SHIP
NEARLY GROUNDS
OFF CAPE Ann
Continued from Page ons.)

cial train at 4:30 in the afternoon,
arriving Tuesday morning.
The president still plans to re-
turn to France on the George Wash
ington, sailing from Hoboken about
March s, unless something unfor-
seen occurs. The condition of the
French premier, M. Clemenceau,
may prove to be a large factor. The
possibility of change in the French
government, should the premier not
respond to treatment for his wound,
and the further possibility OF delay
in the peace conference, compli-
cate the situation.
Considers His Stand Justified.
Although the president held sew
eral conferences during the return
voyage he did not give any ex-
plantations on the work or pro-
spects of the peace conference fur
Their than to indicate he feels a GER
tain justification of his position i'll
insisting that the making OF peace
and the creation of a league of ma
tons are inseparable propositions,
not to be disassociated.
Mr.. Wilson has told friends and
advisers that with the draft of the
league constitution on the table be-
fore the conference, he considers the
first step an accomplished fact. The
PRESIDENTS known to feel that in the
end the underlying principles he has
proposed will be accepted in the
conference.
The ratification of the document i'll
other countries and in the United
States, the president considers as
another step to be dealt with after
the league of nations plan is per-
fected.
viii Address Congress.
While he has been following keen
ly the opposition and adverse criti-
cism of the plan in congress, the
president has said that he was sure
he could convince congress leaders
that there were no fundamental OBJ
jections. The president, when he gets
back to Washington, undoubtedly
will make some sort of address to
joint session and confer with the
members of the foreign affairs COM
mittee of each house.
The question OF an extra session
of congress the president feels de-
ponds wholly upon the condition
in which the present congress leaves
public business. If the presidents
hope is realized that the principal
business of the peace conference
will be finished by midsummer and
that he is able to return to the
United States some time in June or
July. the probabilities are that at
least an extra session of the senate
or possibly the whole new congress
might be called in the early fall to
get start on reconstruction legis-
lation and take up the ratification
of the peace treaty.
Had Rough Trip.
President Wilson had a much
rougher trip coming home than he
did going over. Some of the days
half the party was confined to cab
ms, out the president proved HILL
self an excellent sailor and surren-
dered only once, when the waves
and spray were dashing over the
bridge and he got a wetting while
the destroyer escort buried itself,
plunging about in the heavy seas.
There was a lively epidemic OF
grippe and Spanish influenza on the
ship, many of the attaches of the
party being confined to their state
rooms or the ships hospital for the
entire voyage. None of the prin-
cipals, however, was affected.
The presidents speech here to-
is expected to be merely in
the nature of an acknowledgement
of welcome home, reserving a dis
cussion Of the peace conference and
its work for the meetings with the
leaders.