The Press. Friday, December 27, 1918. Mr Wilson and Peace.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16405, 27 December 1918, Page 6

The Press. Friday, December 27, 1918. Mr Wilson and Peace.

During the last month or more there has been a great deal of discussion concerning Mr Wilson's famous "fourteen " points," and ndt a few people have spoken and written aa if the President were hound to come into conflict with Great Britain and France over them. The criticism that comes from Republican leaders in the United States may be written off as partly the product of jealousy and party bitterness, and the fuss made by Mr W. M. Hughes and his backers over the injury which the acceptance of Mr Wilson's programme by Britain had supposedly done to Australia is explained by competent students of the erratic Mr Hughes as the result of his anger over not being invited by Mr Eloyd George to take a commanding place in the British Government. But many quite disinterested people have felt a little anxious over the risk that the "fourteen "points" may cause Bome regrettable disagreements. We do not . think that t&ere is ground for uneasiness. When the President outlined his peace programme in his Message to Congress last January, ho was chiefly concerned to point out to Germany how vast a gulf separated German aims from the aims of America, and he would not contend that he was laying down a series of conditions which, could not be altered by a single comma in any circumstances. v In the case of only two of his fourteen points, as it happens, is there likely to be any difficulty in finding an interpretation, upon which the Allies and America can agree for incorporation in a treaty. That the programme is not fixed and unalterable is indeed obvious from the fact that the fourteenth point lays it down that "a '' general association of nations must be " formed under specific covenants," etc. Here the President waß declaring what he considered a desirable arrangement, and was not mnkintr what he considered 1 an enforceable decree, since no State can force all other States to unite for a given purpose. When the programme had been "before the world) for. six months, Mr Wilson re-stated it in a more compact form in a speech at) Mount Vernon, and Mr 'Lloyd George on' the following day accepted it completely and without reserve. There is really no good reason for supposing that there is any substantial difference on any point between the Allied and Associated Governments, and there is reason to believe that these Governments havo been more closely in touch with each other and more harmoniously agreed than may be generally supposed. Tho President is quoted to-day as having stated, in a speech on the FrancoAmerican front, that he had not found any difference of principle' or fundamental purpose among the Allied leaders with whom he was co-operating for a settlement of the peace problems. "The world now knows," ho added, "that the nations that fought are pre"pared, to make peace upon the basis " of justice and righteousness." There are some people in both Britain and America who have no interest in wishing that the two Governments should work in harmony together, and who have interests for the furthering of which they would not hesitate to create friction if they could. It need hardly be said! that such people are not true friends of either Britain or America, whose true relations are on the point of being symbolised by the notable event of Mr Wilson's appearance at Buckingham Palace as the guest of his Majesty the King. The President will not dominate the settlement, nor is there any reason!

to suppose that he wishes to do so, or to do any more, indeed, than assist, as he explained in his farewell message to Congress, towards a proper interpretation of his programme, which had been accepted by all the belligerents. It was inevitable that the weeks of waiting for the Peace Conference would be filled up with much unofficial discussion and speculative reports, but we think one may safely ignore all hints of difficulty and disagreement and feel confident that the settlement will be one in which full justice will be done to the legitimate aspirations of all of the Allies.