The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1919-01-09
WILL DECIDE
PEACE TERMS
Score Of Peace Tables" to Fix
Conditions. With Only Formal
Ratification at Versailles.
AMERICA DEMANDS PUBLICITY.
Germans 10 Be Called IN After Their
Acceptance 10 Reguired--coionei
House Handling De,aiis--Gaeh
Nation Has Many Experts.

Paris Il l. possible 70 present The
I first comprehensive forecast af The
methods aud details - The operation
az The executive pollcics at the Worsds
Peace Conference This can he done
With reasonable accuracy, assured by
many interviews IN authoritative quar-.
lcrs here.
II Is undcniably true no oa,,Sras
agreement upon HE methods ~ l,lrsr.
dnre has been reached heca0se the
commissioners Of the various powers
have not Yet met Formally, and thee
retically the Americans constitute tb~
only commission on the ground
However, The general outline ef
plans Ia he followed have been lis
cussed by the American, BiiiIssa
French and Italian statesmen aud .
hroad agreement has been reached.
subject TO modification when the firSs
Informal meetings ~ The commission.
e.s Is held which viii be about Jana.
mr., IL.
u * sufficient ia say that Colonel
House is handling this end OF The
work % The American delegation
The colonel has conferred with Pre-
miers Orlando and Clemenccnu nDd
with Foreign Ministers pinclion nnd
BHlfOur. and he Is as thoroughly ne-
Guautcd with their views as they are
with his.
II IS advisable that Americans should
not deceive themselves with u mental
picture OF the pence table, with ths
delegates of % nations seated tlt,Tenf-
There may be- final tableaux nj Yer
saillos and there may then be tinsil-
light pictures Of the peace table, the
crowded galleries and All The attend.
mt nGmp and circumstance OF such
yleat spectacle
But. when this happens. all The read
Norl. viii have been completed Rsd
,ny fhe formal necessity of rntfScn-
ion viii remain In fact. there viii he
more than n score Of peace tables each
he center Of some conference rotan
IN Paris, and under these
nay be found scores Of commissions
The nearest approach 10 the iheoret-
cal. picture Of the worlds weighiy
tafoSmen assembling TO make Il News
ieaycn on Earth" will be al The Qtnis
'orsay which Is The popular term for
no French Foreign Office hand,gnss
uiding o. the left bank Of the Seine.
Here, in a room hung with rare
aiming and furnished with massive
iahC gany, all full meetings prior to
ne Versailles conference proper WIZ
. held
II Is ossible TO state the Important
lct flGt the American commission
III battle for the principle Of IN open
not secret agreements,
herever possible.
This does not mean there VIII be
Iblic convention crowds scramblinr
r admlttance, but II does mean that
q Americans will insist 10 the yrry
nit Of their powers either upon me-
SIS by the press. or upon the under
lnlng that full statements shall b.
ven TO the press on all importans
Inference reports and decisions
II is safe 10 say the American dele
tes will have dlfficplty In winning
Is point. Recent Socialist lnterToIs-
ms IN the French Chamber Of Dcpv-
S drew this retort from the govern
mt
Full publicity Is iinpracticablc-"
L ls, indeed. easy 10 understand lint
] publicity Is incompatible with Pre-
er Clemenceau's ayowed adherrnce
the firm policy Of alliance between
ndon, Paris Rome and Washington.
n other words, The decision inusr
between the new theory of open
ling and the old practice OF bar.
ming by statesmen.