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Show League of Nations May; Grow Out of I Mercy Work, j FEEDING STARVING i CSemenceae and Oilier European Leaders Are in Accord, PARIS. Dec. 23. President Wilson's conferences today and tomorrow will virtually complete the preliminaries he Is expected to dispose of before going to England. They probably will lay the principal part of the ground work for the actual peace conference. Mr. Wilson considers the most pressing press-ing of all problems before the entente nations in a fair way toward beiiy; solved. This is the question of auppjy-ingfoodfJo auppjy-ingfoodfJo tlTfj Xtarvjng rQple-HDf: liberated countries. It "now seems probable prob-able that the work will be handled principally by the United Stales through Herbert C. Hoover. It has been made plain to the entente nations that the United States has no wish to claim ontire credit for the work of relief re-lief in the minds or the people who are to be fed and a satisfactory understanding under-standing appears to be in sight. Mr. Hoover will confer with the president again today. Participation by the United Stales in various councils that have been handling han-dling food questions, matters of shipping ship-ping and the like is being gradually wound up as American officials are trending toward the opinion that these are proper subjects for the consideration considera-tion of a league of nations or at least of preliminary organizations which may precede it. Some of those who have been giving tho subject close study and have been following the conferences with entente representatives, say they would not be surprised If the real foundation of a league of nations were to be laid in cooperative co-operative arrangements between the United States and the allies for handling han-dling these fundamental questions. Mr. Wilson's address at Sorbonne, on Saturday, in which he again defined his conception of a league of nations, attracted closest attention from all public men here. This is especially true of his statement that the war never nev-er could have occurred if the central powers had discussed it for a fortnight and .certainly not if they had been forced to talk matters over for more than a year. Recalls Bryan's Plan. The president's address has recallod that tho United States, while William Jennings Bryan was secretary of state, negotiated a dozen arbitration treaties, treat-ies, one of them with Great Britain. These treaties bound their signatories to discuss their controversies for at least a year before proceeding to a dec-lar'ation dec-lar'ation of war. An attempt was made to negotiate such a treaty with Germany, Ger-many, but the Berlin government refused re-fused to entertain it. There is no official authority for the statement that Mr. Wilson is thinking ofthe Bryan plan as one of the elements ele-ments in the proposed machinery for preserving world peace, but this reference refer-ence to the plan in his Sorbonne speech has set public men to talking. No announcement has been made as to how far the conferences between Mr Wilson, Premier Clemenceau, Premier Pre-mier Orlando and. Foreign Minister Sonnino have gone, but French public men havo declared that their premier's talks with the president wore entirely satisfactory. It is also believed that Mr. Wilson has made substantial progress pro-gress in his conferences with Italian statesmen. LONDON, Dec. 22. President Wilson's Wil-son's arrival in London on a public holiday -makes it certain that there will bo a gathering of 'Londoners to welcome him. The only handicap to would-bo observers is the fact that the distance from the station to the palace is so short that it is likely there will be many persons who will be unable un-able to get places from which Ihey can witness the passage of the royal and presidential partlese. A better opportunity to see the president pres-ident will be offered the public when the American executive goesto Ihe Guild .hall Saturday to receive an ad-'dross ad-'dross from the lord mayor of London. President Wilson then will traverse the route the king usually follows when he visits the city for public functions through the Strand and Fleet street and past St. Paul's cathedral cath-edral and returning along the Thames embajnkment. y;yi:ious public bodies have' expres-sDtia' expres-sDtia' define-to -pnes en lr President WJL- -soli"' with addresses, but tli'epresiuonVs time in London will be so encroached upon for official conferences that it is not expected he will be able to receive re-ceive them. American organizations In londpn are anxious to entertain the president at dinner or luncheon, but thev also are likely to be disappointed." disappoint-ed." It is expected that Ihe president will find time for a short inspection of some of the American soldiers still In London. The diplomatic corps Is interested in the question of precedence which will prevail at the state banquet. The general view is that the foreign ambassadors, am-bassadors, as personal representatives of their sovereigns or governments, will precede all except the king and the president. ROME, Dec. 22. (Havas) President Presi-dent Wilson will arrive in Rome on January 3, according to an announcement announce-ment made public today in the Italian newspapers. PARIS. Dec 1 (Havas) President Presi-dent and Miv. a were guests-6f honor at a dir.;. yiven last evening at tho British embassy by tho Earl of Derby, British ambassador. Among tho guests were Count Romanones, Spanish premier; Vittorlo Orlando, Italian premier: Baron Sonnino, Italian foreign minister; General John J. Pershing, Major General Sir David Henderson, former president of the British air council; Admiral W. S-Benson S-Benson and Colonel E. M. House i Many prominent figures in political life were present. Following the reception that succeeded suc-ceeded the dinner, Mr. and Mrs. Wilson Wil-son were escorted to tho carriage by the Earl of Derby and the secretary of tho embassy. |