THE PEACE CONGRESS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 92, 13 January 1919, Page 5

THE PEACE CONGRESS

LEADERS ANXIOUS TO SPEED UP DECISIONS AUSTRALIA'S AIS MR. HUGHES ON THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS By TeleeraDh—Press Association—Copyright Paris, January 10. President Wilson bag informed M, Clemenceau that he does not desire: to he considered as head of the State at the Conference, but as the Prime Minister and leader of the United States Government. The other American delegates will be Colonel House, Mr. Lansing, Mr. Henry White (a former Ambassador), and General Bliss. The leaders of all the nations are anxious to speed up the meeting and the decisions of the Conference in order to secure peace at the earliest date. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Aesn. THE PRELIMINARY SESSIONS. Washington, January 11. The State Department learns ' that the preliminaries of the Peace Conference will probably begin on January 13 (to-day).—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-. THE FRENCH DELEGATES ABSENCE OF FOCH COMMENTED UPON. (Reo. January 12, 5.5 p.nj.) Paris, January 10. The French peace delegates include M. Clejnenceau, M. Piohon, M. Klotz, M. Tardieu, and M. Cambon. The newspapers draV attention to the omission of Marshal Foch.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. f THE BRITISH PARTY FOR THE PRELIMINARIES (Rec. January 13, 1.30 a.m.) . London, January 10. An official announcement has been made that Mr. Lloyd George and Mr. Bonar Law, accompanied by the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia, South Africa, and Newfoundland, and the Maharajah of Bilcani;, will leave for Paris on the morning of January 11 for the preliminary conversations with the heads of the' Allies and the associated States,—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. THE ECONOMIC ISSUES WORK FOR THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS. London, January 10. The "Morning Post's" Paris correspondent states that the impression has gained ground that the economife sjde will play only a small part in the proposed League of Nations. The exact contrary is the ease. The possibility of imposing economical conditions laid down by the Associated Powers, on Allied and enemy countries alike, is the main justification of the League's existenco. •

In'the opinion of many judges the League should be the'best means of securing adeauato compensation from Germany without compelling the Allies to bolster up German industries. If tho Allies pool all their raw materials and fix the prices' at which the foods are to be sold to tho Associated 'owers and their friends, the League can simultaneously fix higher prices for Germany, the difference being the German indemnity. Such a group of Associated Powers would ultimately develop into- a- League of Nations.— Aue.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

THE CRIME AND THE PUNISHMENT STRONG SPEECH BY MR. HUGHES London, January 10. Sir Newton Moore, M.P., presided at a luncheon given by city men to Mr. W. M. Hughes, at the Holborn Restaurant, on the eve of his departure to tho Peace Conference. Mr. Hughes, responding to the toast of his health, said that tho Peace Conference, was the most significant event that had ever occurred in tho history of mankind. "Peace on earth, goodwill towards men," was still the ideal which the Conference must attempt to reach. We owed the fact that right had triumphed to the valour of our race. He firmly believed in the League of Nations. _ Although Germany had abandoned its former Government some seemed to think she should escape paying the penalty of her crimes, and. that we should welcome her into the League of Nations. We must degand such terms of poace as were oompwible with our sacrifices. Tho terms, must be just to ourselves as well ~ as to the enemy. He preferred the Germany which bared its breast to tho enemy to the one that to-day grovolled 'and 'whined. Not the Kaiser, but all Germany was guilty. If. the Kaiser led them, the people were quite willing to be led. They went out to conquer the world. Had they won the whole people of Germany would have applauded them. "If Germany stood where we stand to-day' she would have exacted from us to the uttermost farthing; they would have torn our Empire asunder." Germany to-day had only put. on new garb; she possessed the same heart. Germnny, Mr. HugTios said, 'had merely turned King's evidence. The fatal spirit of tolerahce of Germany was again apparent. How could the League of Nations hope to meet with tho approval of tho nations of the eartlv unless it imposed penalties_ on this great criminal? Were we to inaugurate the new. era- without making it a terrible crime for any nation to begin war? The British Empire, that league of free nations, must see that the terms of peace were compatible with the security of the Empire. We must have the Pacific Islands; we must not come out of the Conference short of those principles of freedom for which Australians had died their blood. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. ITALY AND THE ADRIATIC PRESIDENT WILSON MORE SYMPATHETIC. New York, January 9. Mr. David Lawrenoe, the' New York' "Evening Post's" Paris correspondent, states that it would not be surprising to find President Wilson sympathising ■with Italian aspirations, in the Adriatic, because .thero is .evidence' that Liberalism is growing in Italy, and there is less danger of tho misuse of power than the Americans have .usually been led to believe.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. THE ALL-RUSSIA CABINET AT OMSK APPEAL FOR ALLIED RECOGNITION. (Rec. January 12, 5.5 p.m.) New York, January 9. The New York "Times" Washington correspondent states thnt official dispatches from Paris.state that the Russian peace representative h«9 urged the Allied Governments to recognise tho All-Russinn Government at Omsk. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. APPEAL FOR MESOPOTAMIA FROM ASSYRIAN CHRISTIANS AND NATIVES. Washington, January 9. ' : Assyrian Christians and natives of Mesopotamia living "in' the United

States have petitioned the Stat© Department requesting the Peace Conference to place Mesopotamia under the joint protection of the United States, France, and Britain.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. . * BRITAIN AND THE. LEAGUE OF NATIONS A GERMAN-AMERICAN ATTACK. Washington, January 10. Giving evidence before the Propaganda Committee of the Senate, Mr. Edmund von Macli, ex-Professor at Harvard, denounced the British Government's propagandist attempts to destroy the League of Nations.—Aus.* N.Z. Cable Assn. [Professor von Mack is a native of Pomeranja, Germany, and at the age of 21 went to the United States in 1891, where he was educated at Harvard, and married an American. He is the author of works on sculpture and painting, and also books Explaining "What Germany ,Wan.V' and "The German Viewpoint," anu other war subjects. He edited, in 1916, a volume of official diplomatic documents relating to the outbreak of the European War.]