The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-02-19
COMPLETE
PEACE BY
NEXT JUNE
Allied Delegates Hope to Have
Program Ready When
President Wilson
Returns.
MEET WITH GERMANS
Discussions Of 7oundarles is Ono Cues
ton Which VIII Keep Com
mittees Busy for Many
Days.
MEET WITH GERMANS
[By Fred s FERGUSON, United Press

Staff Correspondent
! PARIS, Feb. 19-American, British.
french and Italian delegates discuss
ed the program for a preliminary
paece today with the intention of hav-
ing the outline complete soon after
President Wilson's return to Paris.
Belief was expressed that the pact
might be ready for final discussion by
the middle Of April.
The length to which the sessions
will continue after the Germans are
called In, is problematical, though the
delegates are hopeful of affecting the
peace settlement by June, allowing
for delays that possibly may be ne
cessitated by the Germans desiring to
refer certain questions to their gov
ernment.
In the meantime discussion OF
boundaries in which the allied powers
lare concerned, will continue. but it is
not necessary that an agreement will
have been reached before the prelim-
mary peace is presented.
The committee on responsibility for
the war was reported today to be en-
countering difficulties in considering
the case of the former kaiser as there
is no precedent on which to proceed
4a0 QdCoIlOh vi VOS6IOlS GAIIdQlIlCu
for instance necessitates the closest
examination. There Is no desire to
take action that might possibly result
in Wilhelm being cast i'm the role of
"a martyr. The old -rategic boundary
idea has again bobbed up through
presentations of Serbia's claims.
The Serbs want q stretch Of terri
tary fifteen to thirty ldlometers (nine
to eighteen miles) wide along the Bull
Sarian frontier, claiming 1t Is neces-
sary for protection of an important
railway line.
Italy's refusal to arbitrate her dis
pute with the Jugo-Slavs over Dali
malta has not created ripple, as it
is based on the grounds that all terri
torial claims will be examined by the
conference and that there is no rea-
SON why special rule shall be made
in this specific case.
The terms would include delinea-
tion of German boundaries, definite
establishment Of her military, naval
and economic status and fixation of
the amount of reparation and of the
method of payment.
One plan has been suggested and
is said to be meeting with favor for
abolition of CONSUMPTION in Germany
for period Of ten years. with stimuli
taneous reduction of her fleet. This
not only would be expected to have
good effect in, Germany, where
every energy could be bent on re-
Mobilization and peaceful pursuits,
but other nations might find that
conscription Is unnecessary and
would lose The war habit"
Further steps toward fixing basis
for preliminary peace will be
taken in the new armistice condi-
tions, which may be presented to
Germany within a week These are
expected to include reduction of her
army to twenty-five divisions, pos
sible dismantling of the Rhine forts,
prohibition Of mobilization on the
west front, further reduction of her
navy and the surrendering of all
submarines.
More than score of U-boats.
which have been partially built since
the armistice was signed, will have
to be turned over to the allies. These
craft are said to have been con
structed solely through fear Of the
government discharging the em-
ployes of the submarine works and
adding to the discomfort attendant
on unemployment. There is a grow
ing sentiment for complete abolition
Of the submarine as weapon of
warfare, the Americans taking the
view that it is force that cannot be
controlled, and IL used, is bound to
be pfratical.
Claim From Balkans.
ley Henry Wood, United Press Staff
Correspondent
pADTC :