New-York tribune., 1919-01-13
Four Big Nations
Drafting Prologue
Formal Farley Opens
To-day; Recasting Of
Europe May Take Year
Neso Yorh Tribune
Special Cable Service ,
BY hampton Hunt

Copyright. 1919. New Yo.k Tribune Inc ,-+-
PARIS. Jan. l2.-At last order has
begun to emerge from chaos. After
all these weeks of speculations. asser-
TORS, contradictions and doubte, after
the fiNings and changings of dates and
the eXasperating uncertainties, we face
one definite fact in the preparations
FOR the peace conference The first
real, formal official meeting of the
Prime Ministers and Foreign Ministers
of America, France, Great Britain and
Italy is aow taking place-they arc sit
ting definitely as the formal prologue.
II is the greatest international coun.
ell the world ever has seen. This
council that 10 to bring peace to the
world after the worlds most awful war
convened at 3 O'Clock this afternoon.
IL IS meeting in one Of the noblv ap-
pointed rooms OF the French FOREIGN
Office overlooking the flooded Seine.
Will Reeast Europe's Mar
At this meeting will be taken the
hrst steps to recast the map of Turope
which Germany four and a half wears
ago tore up in her magalomaniacaI
rage. Three months from now may see
the rough, main outlines of that new
map splashed in ard the signatures
fixed to the preliminary peace treaty
that viii decide the fate of Germany
and her accomplices for century 10
come.
'welve months from now, if the his
'orlc precedents and opinions of many
experts can be accepted as worthy of
credence, may see the map completed
and the tremendous-treaty that shall
guarantee its durability finally signed
Io-day's meeting at the Quai d'Orsav
will be devoted to the discussion Of
two main subjects. The first and most
pressing of these will, of course. he
the question of further extension of
the armistice.
Germany Hasn't Complied
1t was understood on December IL.
when the original terms of the ar,a;s.
tlce were extended another month.
namely, until January II. that "this
prolongation would be further extend
ed until the signatures had been fixed
to the preliminary peace treaty, sub.
Ject to the assent Of the Allied gov
ernments."
The reasons necessary for the exten.
sion Of the armistice lie, of course. in
the fact that the Germans l.cyc not
complied. or only partly .,e~n piled.
either with the conditioGs ,.+s,t laid
down or with the supplens ery ones
imposed when ths armist4x was cx-
tended. The chief one OF these ..on-
Germs the delivery of railway sasknes.
and particularly cars, of vaich only :
fraction of those stipulated for have
been handed over.
The compliance with this condition
is extremely important, especially to
France, whose internal transuortat5on
system is at present tied up to an I'm.
credible degree thu. yh sheer lack of
rolling stock. This is largely due to
the non n-delivery by Germany of the
engines and cars called for under tha
conditions of the armistice.
France Short $4,000 Cars
The extra. demands of transportation
in newly occupied territories to meet
the army and civilian requirements has
resulted in no fewer than 10000 rail-
way cars being taken out of the inter-
nal transportation service to compcn-
safe for the non-delivcry of the Ger.
man cars. -~Sr
In consequence Of this. the French
are Ear worse off now for wheat. wine.
tobacco. foodstuffs and commodities oc
all kinds than before the armistice.. as
there Is no means of moving the goods
with which every port is chokcd. ,Thr
Germans must be required. it is held
here. to pay for this deftult. which
has given France enormous dificulty.
The conditions for the extension oe
the hrmistice, it is believed, will also
certainly take into consideration the
situation on the Eastern frontiers oe
Germany and Germany's responsibility
therein.
To Further Curb Germany
Questions 10 be settled in to-dav-a
meeting OF the Entente preniiers and
foraign ministrS concern tina AAnsrfs,~