The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-01-08
PEACE CONFERENC
DISCUSSION WILL
OPEN ON THURSDAY
Wilson Resting in Order to Get
in Shape for Talks to Lay
Real Groundwork for Agree
ment.

PARIS, Jan. S..--lnformal conferences
with entente statesmen which will lay
the real groundwork for the peace con-
gress will begin Thursday, These con
ferenCes viii probably be President VII"
sons only official activity prior to the
beginning of the peace conference, as
II Is necessary for him to get some rest
after q fatlgulng round Of speeches and
travelling
After the formal sessions begin. he
will doubtless play little golf II the
weather Is good, but win deny himself
TO all callers and win cut all business
TO minimum As the conference ap-
proaches the stage where informal
agreement which Will have an important
bearing on final settlements VIII be
reached there seems to he excellent
authority for saying that plans for the
settlement OF the most important ques-
tions-the league Of nations, the free
dom OF the seas and dlsarmament--are
Still very indefinite
Several propositions are being put
forward for adjustment of these mat
ters, but there Is none having the color
of official sanction, II Mr., Wilson has
drawn up any specific plans he has not
diVulEed them to anybody, and It Is
known he Is closely studying various
suggestions advanced by others. This
IL not necessarily to be construed as
meaning that the president is without
definite ideas on the subjects under
consideration, but rather that he has
been giving thought to the governing
principles and keeping an open mind to
benefit from ideas from all sources,
Has Material Ready.
The American commission has been
gathering material constantly and this
is to be ready in memorandum for the
president when he goes to the coming
conferences The best information OBJ
tainable as to- cqnlekences SO Iar hela
| with British and italian statesmen Is
that they were very satisfactory, de-
veloping no differences as TO principles
| involved, 1t has been noted that Presl-
dent Wilson In all his speeches has
emphasized the fact that there Is per-
feet agreement as to main points.
Those near the president have been
eager to send to America some detailed
statement Of what has been accom-
plished since his coming TO Europe, but
II has been explained that negotiations
at present arc of such character that
II would be unwise to discuss matters
still in the formative stage.
The coming conferences will. among
other things probably decide on the
date OF the opening of the formal ses-
sious OF the conference, the extent to
which they will be open and other de-
tails which will be OF great interest to
the public,
agrees with previous forecasts, u Is
learned that the United States, Great
Britain, France, Italy and Japan will
form the nucleus and viii declare that
the league win preserve the peace OF
the world and justice to all An ar
hitral court viii he created and 1t will
he backed by the combined force of
all.
Take in Neutrals.
The central powers and neutra ma
tions, It is added, will be taken In as
probationers as they demonstrate that
they are il self-governing. people and
give evidence Of good faith to abide
BY the decisions sof the league.
The return to Paris Of President VII
son, the arrival Of Lord Robert Cecil,
the special delegate Of the British gov,
ernment on the league Of nations, and
the presence here Of Leon Bourgeois,
French representative on the same sub
ject, marked the inauguration of ex-
changes on the definite terms by which
,l,o Iauuitn q "A ha constituted