Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, 1919-10-30
Bars Set Up to Exclude
Nation from Confer
ence Smashed.
STILL BEING ORGANIZED
BASIS OF ADMISSION
Federation and Chamber
of Commerce Asked to
Name Delegates.

Washington, Oct. 2e.-Repre-
sentatives of labor and capital
in the United States will partici-
pate unofficially in the interna-
tional labor conference which be-
gan it's sessions here today, and
Secretary Wilson of the labor de-
partmant, who called the confer
ence to order, will be named
president.
Speaking ION behalf Of the
people of the United States and
in the name Of President Will
son. Secretary of Labor Wilson
formally opened the conference,
which was provided for in the
treaty of Versailles.
The invitation for the United
States to be unofficially repre-
sented in the conference was eX-
tended by the delegates from 36
countries on motion of the ltal-
ian delegation.
U. S. Charged With Organizing
Secretary Wilson later an
nounced he had requested the
American Federation of Labor
delegates and the Chamber of
Commerce of the United States
to choose representatives of the
employers.
Mr.. Wilson was agreed upon
by the delegates for president
If the conference. The secretary
explained that, as the confer
ence still is being organized, !"
he was authorized to preside as
the representative of the United
States, which is charged under
the terms of the treaty of Yer
sailles with the organization of
the conference.
No Official Seats for U. S.
The United States cannot be officially
represented in the conference because
the treaty has not yet been ratified and
because of congressional prohibition.
Mr.. Wilson, however, told the dele
gates that, while the league of nations
had not technically come into existence.
it was an assured fact and that con-
sequently it was the duty of the United
States to organize the conference.
The opening session continued only
an hour, the conference recessing until
the afternoon, when the report of Arthur
Fontaine of France, chairman Of the
organizing committee, was received.
SIT Where Round Table Sat.
Welcoming delegates from all parts Of
the world, the secretary declared that the
closely veiled. Witness Greer identi-
certed effort in history to deal with labor
problems progressively.
Representatives of 36 countries, seated
in alphabetical order in large circle in
the same hall in the Pan American build
ing where the national industrial confer
cnce came to grief, heard the secretary s
address, which was translated into
French
Ambassadors and ministers of many
nations occupied places of honor on
either side of the chairman's platform.
Teuton Admission Next Question.
While the United States was not rep
resented officially in the list of dele
gates by reason of congressional prohi-
bition, number of officials were present
as guests of the league of nations. Sam
uel Gompers, president of the American
Federation of Labor and a member of
the conference organizing committee, also
was present.
Germany and Austria also were without
delegates, but their representatives are
now en- route and the question of seat
ing them will be for the conference to
decide.
Countries having delegates present to-
day included Great Britain, France, ia
pan, Italy, Belgium. Spain, Holland, Swe-
Switzerland, Denmark, Greece, Norway
and practically ali Of the Central and
South American republics,