Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-02-20
PEACE DELEGATES
NOW OPTIMISTIC
Believed Final Terms VIII Be
Ready When President,
Returns.
May SIGN IN APRIL OR MAY
Russian Situation Is Proving
Most Difficult Problem for
Supreme Council.
ny JAY JEnoMu wILI.I4Ms.

PAE!s. Feb. 10 (by Radio via Lon-
don>- n>--Op;imisn reigns a: tho ouai
DO-say tonight. One forecast has i;
that by the time President Wilson re-
turns to France the negotiations w:lI
have reached such stage as 20 make
possible the opening sessions with the
Germans for 5iSning the treaty proper.
X this is the case. II means that
peace will nc an accomplished fact by
tho middle of April or The first OF MAY.
at tho latest.
Thereafter however. the s!,.aa MIL
SIN continue 20 Work over many con.-
plcN questions that have arisen since
tho conference opened here The .oa
son for the optim.am tonga. rests in
the agreement on the final ar,n.st:cc
terms, which Will form the basis OF
the treaty OF peace
In this connection. though these
| terms mus. not DC confused with the
terms given to tho Germans AZ Trevcc
by Marshal Fcch two days ago. Undc.
The present arrangement. those terms
%pSratc S'pS @ con.inuai; in sSventy- two
ing the privileges Of terminating the
agreement al any time after the con-
! ciusion OF the .irst scrcnty-two hours.
newal OF the old terms
MAIN POINTS or
NEW AND FiNAL. TERMS
The main points OF tho new and final
terms follow:
!. Reduction OF tho German navy 10
hs: been reduced BY the surrender Of
the feet and submarines to the allies
:. Reduction OF the German array to
twenty-five divisions no; exceeding IS
600 each. together H,i,h the addci pro
vision against it's concentration on the
western front.
3: Demolition OF the German rortih-
cations on the western front.
4. Control of tho German munitions,
which Will undoubtedly mean occupa-
ton of tho larger German munitions
centers By the allies. One proposition
which is q: present being considered
has 10 do with Gcr,nany's military flu
ture. and II sentiment crystai!izcs in
favor Of Il. it will fsure in the peace
,rsaiT; II is ,he argument which "a
Germany for the next ten years.r !.
! LEAGUE or NATIONS.
PROJECTS GERMANY
Should Germany lament and say that
this would leave her at the mercy of
her enemies, the allies answer will be
that the league OF nations offers suf-
Acient protection
Enrti'ermore, such provision in the
would have good effect on France and
Italy. Their populations would see the
Gdissipa,;on q the e,,, IHsnsce Of an armed
the tu,.li;y az nla:rta!nin. srca: stand
ing armies themselves.
BY Gar the most important feature.
though, is The belief tina; Germany
sitter ten years o; divorce t-om sWash-
huck!ing in;iitarism. would no. consent
20 take up the burden OF conscription
for u great standing army.
RUSSIAN SITUATION
DIFFICULT PROBLEM
The peace commissioners xoday con-
s.dcred the Russian situation and gen
orally admit il is proving one Of The
NEST difficult problems. Several plan,
were considered today. ono o? wnich
involves the use or force.
1t is based on the idea that the re-
!uctance OF the entente powers ard the
United States to defy Socialist oppos!-
iion to the use OF their armies against
what some OF them regard as only n
working mems government can be
1t is held that no difficulty would
be encountered in raising almost any
desired number OF soldiers for q Rus
sian campaign from the millions o?
men now being discharged from the
armies Of the entente and America.
There is some doubt in the minds o.
several members OF council. however,
whether their government would es-
cape SocialiStic wrath, by even this
nethod of combating Bolshevism.
Present indications are that this plan
will not be approved and that tho su-
preme council will fall back into n
waiting attitude, although II may be
found possible TO do something In a
tie Soviets through economic restr;c-