New-York tribune., 1919-02-06
World Grows
impatient for
Peace Terms
Geo. ". Wickersham Points
Out Entire Reconstruction
Policy Awaits a Decision
By George w. Wickersham
Nc,v York Tribune
Special Cable ,Ser,,icc

Special Cable Service
Copyright 1879. New York Tribune 1nc)
PARIS, Feb. 5.-Tho peace confer
encc, having determined to admit the
press to its sessions, accomplishes the
result upon which 1t had originally re
solved by the simple expedient of hold
ing no meetings and delegating the
examination and determination of all
questions to the "Big Five or big
Ten" who meet and act privately. The
convention-or conference is expected
ultimately 20 ratify the decisions Of
the Big Five
No sensible person can object to
many OF the delicate questions which it
must be considered are being dealt
with in the first instance in the execu-
tive sessions. The important object
for the United States is that each of
the main points of the ultimate agree
mcnt reached by the big Five" or
"Tcn" shall be reported and voted upon
at open meetings of the full confer
cncc, in order, first. that it be made
apparent what. if any. differences of
opinion may exist concerning them:
second, that public opinion in the
United States may form and express
itself upon each question, and that the
Senate may not have presented to it
one completed treaty assented to by
the other powers which it must ac-
cept or take before the world the
responsibility for rejecting in its en-
tirety.
Question for Senate Debate
This situation cannot arrive if, be-
fore articulatinS all the various pro-
visions OF the treaty into a completed
whole, they are separately presented
and debated and the Senate given an
opportunity TO express itself or take
determined stand concerning any part
in advance of final action by the con-
ference. For it is scarcely conceivable
that the peace conference would in.
clude IN the treaty any provision which
the Senate should have declared thai
it would not accept.
This week is to be devoted by mem
bers of the peace conference to work
OF various committees or commissions.
that on the constitution of the league
OF nations being under the chairman
ship of President Wilson himself.
There are also commissions ON in
IDENTITIES, boundaries, Transportation.
industry, labor and many other sub
jects
There is much speculation as 10
whether the various committees will re-
port to the full conference or 10 the
Big Five" or the Big Ten; also
whether their reports will be made pub
lie. No announcement has yet been
made upon this point
open Covenants" Arouse Laugh
There IS a great deal of humorous
comment i'll Paris OH the way in which
Mr.. Wilson's open covenants of peace"
are being "openly arrived at" and
there is speculation as to whether any
of Tie other fourteen points viii! be
realized.
AS the conference becomes more and
more involved in consideration of the
conflicting claims OF various nations
concerning territories and boundaries.
such as Italy's CAIN 10 Da,matia,
whether the Banat viii be included in
Rumania and Serbia permitted TO alb
sorb Montenegro, CT whether Poland
shall have Danzig and Greece the
Egean littora, people are beginning
10 wonder when it Will take uu the
main object Of the conferences, namely.
the fixing OF terms upon which the war
against Germany, Austria Hungary,
Bulgaria and Turkey shall be brought
to an end
A very anomalous situation exists to-
uay. The armistice with Germany was
agreed upon November i nearly three
months age. The armies of the Allies
are being demobiiixed rapidly. The
peoples of America, Great Britain and
'o1s }fis,srd n,, ,,,,-y ..~A-