Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-01-10
British Body Awaited.

month of waiting and preparation
conversations which will lay the
foundation of the actual peace con-
gress are about to start.
Suggestions have been made that
the French and American delegates
go ahead while awaiting the arrival
of the British plenipotentiaries, who
are now expected on Saturday. Presi-
dent Wilson, however, vetoed the
plan.
AS many of the principal questions
to be threshed out in preliminary con-
ferences concern most intimately the
United States. Great Britain and
France there is some hope Of fair
headway being made while awaiting
the official announcement of the full
Italian delegation and the arrival of
the Japanese representatives. The
Belg;ans will arrive next week.
The first few conferences between
the Americans. French and British
progress may be expected before
President Wilson goes home next
month. 1t is settled that when he
reaches America. one Of the first acts
will be to address congress and give
a report on what has been accom-
plished .-7 u. a
Merely the Groundwork.
Some trained diplomats among the
Americans here are agreed that the
most Mr.. Wilson can hope to report
will probably be a general undertak.
ing Of the widest sort upon a set OF
principles which must be left to be
applied by the peace congress.
- Each Of the bodies Of peace COM
rnissioners will necessarily 80 through
an Organization process: York
has taken the Americans a month
and even now they are only partly
ready. The French, Of course, have
their organization on the spot. The
British have brought over from Eng
land highly developed machine
ready to function. Even the elevator
conductors and porters are men who
have been tested out in the service OF
the British government.
These essential preliminaries will
not necessarily delay the informal
conversations but they will delay the
working of "group PLAN" conferences
by which the principal belligerents
expect to thresh out points with in
terested neutrals, acknowledgements OF
minor nations engaged in the war and
reduce their results to memoranda
which are to go to the peace congress
for inclusion in the final settlement.
Disappointed in Delays.
President Wilson's feeling on com.
ing to Europe as early as he did wa.
that all the Entente governments had
made their preparations to get dowr
to talking peace. 1t Is not an over.
statement of the case to say that Mr.
Wilson and the American commits
sioners have been disappointed ir
meeting with delays.
The American delegates are under
stood to feel strongly that unless
plans are made to permit the activi'
ties of peace to be resumed in war.
ring countries. the demobilization Of
their armies may bring unwelcomt
problems.
Up to the present. all the progress.
that has been. has been in President
Wilson'S confidence with French
president, for his part, is said to have
felt that 1t was not proudent to dis.
close what went on. although he in
tends that the proceedings shall &c
on in the way Of open diplomacy
when he feels it is safe to lift the
curtain.
The most that can be said of the
conferences so far held by Mr.. Will.
son is that they have approached on
ly broad principles. The conversa'
tions about to begin will probably
take. on the course of q round table
at which the progress that has beer
made with individual countries will b<
brought into the discussion and gen.
eral agreements sought.
The opinion most generally express
ed here is that IL the conferences dur
ing the next fix weeks establish un'
animity Of purpose as to the freedom
OF the seas. the reduction Of arma'
ments and the actual terms Of peac.
to be imposed on the Central powers
great deal will have been accom-
plished.