Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-02-04
WORKS
HARD TO. PUT
PLAN THROUGH
Doing Everything Possible
to Garry Out Plans For
Society of Nations.

Paris. Feb. 4.-(By the Associated
Press. president Wilson has sew
eral appointments for today, includ-
ing visits from Republican congress
men who have arrived in Paris. He
is determined, however, that his en-
gagements shall not obstruct the pro-
gress of perfecting the scheme of
creation Of a society of nations and is
therefore concentrating his attention
upon that work. While only two
weeks remain before the date set for
his return to Washington, 1t is still re-
garded as within the range of posi-
bility for the great project. not only
to be reported from the commission,
but also for the peace conference in
plenary session to ratify the plan and
thus put it fairly in the way to be
registered In treaty form within the
time limit. This would make rec
ord for international conferences, but
the Paris gathering already has done
that in several instances.
There is a growing feeling here that
the treaty of peace should be speed
lily perfected, now that the principle
of the society Of nations and many of
the details of its construction have
been agreed upon. Arthur J. Balfour,
the British foreign minister. is en-
territorial boundaries of the defeated
nations at once and promptly con-
clude peace with the enemy as so con-
stituted. The program would then be
to go on with the settlement of the
other questions remaining to be solved
under the rules of the society of ma
tions.
Even if the effort to secure fnal
action on the society of nations by
dent Wilson's departure should fail.
it is considered by sponsors for the
plan that the ultimate success of the
undertaking has in reality been as
sured through the adoption by the
full confidence at its second session
declaration which solemnly binds the
delegations to the creation to such an
organization with the primary object
Of averting further warfare. They
consider that delay in perfecting the
form Of the covenant would In nc
wise jeopardize its final adoption.
For the present the main effort Of
the, promoters is to keep out all mat
ters from the plan which is not alb
e~~~s
one result will be that little more
than the skeleton of the pFoiect-7,t
framework Of fundamental. genera
principles-wf11 be, disclosed. It Il
expected, however, that upon this
can be hung almost everything essen
tial to the development Of the plan
whereby it is hoped to assure the
peace Of the world for generations to
come.
With such an agreement on genera
principles as has been reached it !:
held in some quarters that there MAJ MAJ
be no need to treat specifically sucl
subjects as the freedom of the seas
the use of submarines in warfare, thu
creation of buffer states, or even thu
delimitation of national boundarie!
with reference to their defensive pos
sibilities. The idea is that there woule
be no necessity to consider the ques
ton of defense against neighbol
whose good behavior was assured.
Some questions. however. do require
immediate consideration, seems gen
orally agreed. These are subjects sucl
as the assessment of the DAMAGE
caused by the war, the. responsibilit!
for the war, the regulation of the us'
of International waterways and rail
ways, the difficulties presented by thu
present state of chaos in the treat!
| TclaLlOIS DcIWSclI Il1S lldIIOAo o. OLS
result of the war and treatment Of thu
labor question by international &C
cord.
Some Of these problems would re
quire a long time to settle, notabl!
the determining of the actual damag'
inflicted by the enemy. although it ha!
been suggested that adjustment of thi
question might be facilitated by th'
adoption of an estimate of the gros
sum. based on the preliminary exam
nations which already have beel
made by army officers.
One way Of solving these problems
which may be adopted, would b.
through the creation of various com
missions to work after the final ad
justment of the peace conference will
full powers to enforce the execution
OF their DEGREES.