The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-01-10

l.
nearly a month of waiting and prep
aration, conversations which will lay
the foundation of the actual peace
congress are about to start. Ameri-
can delegates feel that great deal
of progress might have been made
before now If a full representation of
the nations allied against Germany
had arrived promptly.
Suggestions have been made that
the French and American delegates
go ahead while awaiting the arrival
OF the British plenipotentiaries, who
are now expected Saturday. Presi-
dent Wilson, however, vetoed that
plan, holding that inasmuch as there
already has been SO long delay it
would be best to .wait little longer
to secure the participation of the
British. AS many of the principal
questions to be threshed out in pre-
liminary conferences concern most
intimately the United States, Great
Britain and France there is some
hope of fair headway being made
while awaiting the official announce
ment of the full Italian delegation
and the arrival of the Japanese rep
resentatives. The Belgians will ar
rive next week. but of course they
are In the status Of minor belliger-
ents.
When He Returns Home.
The first few conferences between
the Americans, French and British
probably will develop just how much
progress may be expected before
President Wilson goes home next
month. It Is settled that when he
reaches America one of his trst acts
will be to address con&reSh ana give
q. report on What bas been accoru-
R|lsts Z gZss 3 ,,.s sIs1 Z; !p,1D,sss
that the most Mr.. Wilson can hope
to report will probably be general
undertaking of the widest sort upon
a set of principles which must cleft
to be applied by the peace congress.
Mr.. Wilson hopes to be able to do
more, but unless something unex-
pected happens, 1t seems probable
physical conditions alone will prevent
the accomplishment of more during
the remaining six weeks of his stay.
Each OF the bodies of peace COM
missioners will necessarily go through
an organization process. This work
has taken the Americans a month
and even now they are only partially
ready. The French, of course. have
their organization on the spot. The
British have brought over from Eng
land a highly developed machine
which is virtually ready to function.
The Japanese will have to organize
after reaching here, as will the BEL
CLAN and other minor belligerents.
Delay "Group Plan"
The very essential preliminaries
will not necessarily delay the infor-
NAL conversation, but they will. in
zl4ya he 1T, o
group plan" conferences by which
the principal belligerents expect TO
thresh out points with interested
neutra1s, nonbelligerents or minor
nations engaged in the war and re-
duce their results to memoranda
which are to go to the peace congress
for inclusion in the final settlement.
Disappointed at Delays.
President Wilson'S feeling. on coming
to Europe as early as he did, was that
all the entente governments had made
their preparations to get down to talk
ing peace. 1t is not an overstatement
of the case to say that Mr.. Wilson and
the American commissioners have been
In meeting with delays. |
Various elements are recognized by
diplomats here as reasons for deferring |
the start toward peace. but it seems |
plain the influence of the United States |
is about to be exerted for steps, which, |
without further delay. will permit a |
start on the business of relating the !
world to a peace basis.
The American peace delegates are
inclined to feel strongly that unless |
plans are made to permit the activities
Of peace to be resumed in warning coun- |
tries, the rehabilitation of their armies |
may bring unwelcome problems.
The return of Mr.. Wilson to the
United States will reduce the American
a1 n mi
today that delegations will vote as
units. and that the president never had
intended to sit continuously at the
peace table.
Up to the present all the progress has
been made in President Wilson's con-
ferences with French, British and Ital-
an statesmen. The detailed conclusions
reached at these conferences are proba-
bly, known only to the participants. The
president, for his part, is said to have
felt II was not prudent to disclose en-
.irely what went on. although he intends
that the proceedings shall go on in the
way of open diplomacy when he feels
Il is safe to lift the curtain and let
he world look back at the performance.
The most that can be said of the con-
Terences so far held by Mr.. Wilson Is
that they have approached only broad
principles. The conversations about to
begin will probably take on the nature
of a round table at which the progress
made with individual countries will be
brought into the discussion and general
agreements sought.
The opinion most generally expressed
here is that II the conference during
he first six weeks establishes unity of
purpose as to freedom of seas. the re-
iuction Of armaments and the actual
.erms Of peace to be imposed upon the
central powers. a great deal will have
oeen accomplished.