Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-01-13
Allied Council
Begins Its Work



Continued from Page One
President, without consultation, has
prepared plan which he is willing
to put forward as that of the United
States, there is now no such thing as
a definitely accepted plan.
1t Is recalled by an international
lawyer working on the problem that
all projects of this sort are to a Ger.
tain extent inspired by precedent and
that it is always desired to utilize
what is available from the work of
! previous conferences which have
struggled to evolve plans TO prevent
! war. Naturally, those studying the
problem turn 10 the proceedings of
! The Hague conferences. particularly
| the second, and it probably will be
found when the Present Peace Con.
/ gress gets under way that great
dSal of the structure of that confer
/ ence will be utilized. 1t is probable
| that with this will he coupled the
plan of William j. Bryan calling for
a years investigation of disputes be-
fore a declaration of war. This lat
ter feature is one Of the very definite
things that Mr.. Wilson is understood
to have in mind.
Seek Machinery TO Block War
American international lawyers are
convinced that the great battle of
wits will come in the discussion of
whatever machinery is proposed to
lessen the probability of war Not
all of them believe that the results of
this Peace Congress will make war
impossible. but they are sanguinc that
it will make armed conflicts more diff
cult. Their principal concern Is that
the structure of the agreement,
whether ii is called a league Of nations
or something else, shall not be framed,
like The Hague conventions. in quail
fying phrases dn popular terminology'
''lOopholes'D which would undermine
the whole structure.
President Wilson and his commits
sioners are working on the theory
that Great Britain, France, Italy and
the rest of the world want some new
machinery which will prevent war.
| Upon the further details the United
I States is said to be unconCerned, fur
ther than To expect fultllment
of covenants and that details of the
work shall be in agreement with the
. IN tlNAlil' hll'buN hIlA'hllNNN'
II was reported some time ago that
the most that was hoped for before
Mr.. Wilson's return to the United
States is a general agreement on
broad principles. There is no reason
now TO change that forecast.
Supreme Council Meets
The Supreme Council of the Peace
Congress, consisting Of President VIII
son and the PrcmIers and Foreign
Ministers of the four great Powers
Great Britain, France, the United
States and Italy mot at O'Clock yes
terday afternoon a. the French For.
eign Oficc Tor the first formal eX-
change of views and to make arrange
ments for the procedure of the con-
ference tomorrow, at which the fun
delegation will be present.
Yesterdays meeting was chieAy in.
terestinE i'm its personal aspect the
bringing together for the .irst time
in contact of the worlds known
statesmen, who are now the guiding
figures of the congress. The scene
as they assembled was one of unusual
activity.
The meeting was an extended one
l. was mainly for the purpose Of set
Ting new terms for prolonging the ar
for determining the number and compo-
sitiou of the delegations of the Various
countries for the sessions of the Peace
Congress which ia about TO open,
No Agreement on ENJOYS
The supreme council Yesterday took
up the question of the procedure for
tho coming Congress session, The dis
russiou dwcr largely upon tho number
..l, "a,
The proposal IN lu" French program, fix
ing the numbers variously at hvc, three
two anu onc representatives. according
80 the part played by the natien IN the
war brought forth certain objections. ant
the council adjourned without ratify,
ing il
T. is hoped that the council toda,
will he able to finish tho discussion OF
the questions regarding the extension n
: the armisticc, begun yesterday, and tha
, 1t perhaps also will reach an agrccmen
ou the Peace Conference program, 1
50, 1t Is probable that the first prepard
tory meeting will be held Tuesday after
noon by the plenipotcntiarics Of the fv'
great Powcrs--thc United states, France
Great Britain, Italy and Japan.
The proceedings yesterday we're 70
r tho most part in English, which 4
spoken by Premier Clemeuceau, O
France; Premier Orlando Of Italy AM
: stephen Pichon, the French Foreign Min
lister. Arthur Hugh Frazier, sccrctar,
, Of the American embassy, acted as in
T, tcrpreter for President Wilson, translat
, ing the speeches that were made I,
E French
The official statement issued at tn
closing of the meeting follows:
. There was first meeting of tn
! Supreme War Council, which discusse
d questions necessary to be settled in con
nection with the extension OF the arm
i stice. which expires on January l.
: These discussions absorbed considerabl
4. more than half the time OF the meetinI
. After tho Supreme War Council ha
: closed its session a smaller group, reT
{ resenting France, the United State
I Great Britain and Italy, discussed I'll
method OF procedure OF the council b
I. which preliminary matters must be car
p gisd on