The sun., 1919-01-13
Session Debates Whether
Small Enemy States Shall
Be Heard.
MEETING IS INFORMAL
Method of Procedure Dis
cussed and FOch Reports
Military Situation.
FOUR PREMIERS PRESENT
Americans Surprised at French
Rejection Of British Plea
for BOlsheviki.
FOUR PREMIERS PRESENT
By LAURENCE HILLS.
star Correspondent Of THE SuN.
GonnrinAf 1910. nu 1Inhfs Hsasfned.

Copyright, 1919: all rights reserved.
PARIS, Jan. IA little group or
men in armchairs around green
table in n private room in the French
Foreign Office this afternoon chatting
informally, almost rs if they had
dropped in at some club, constituted
the actual beginning of the greatest
world peace congress In history.
NOminally it was a meeting Of the
Supreme War Council. the first al
tended by President Wilson; actually
II was the first meeting of the Peace
Conference, as Its purpose was to de-
eide upon the organization of the
meetings Of the five associated powers
and to determine the procedure, num-
Der of delegates and the like in the
momentous task of shaping the des-
tineS Of the world.
Nowhere was there any suggestion
of the tremendous forces that have
been and are at work. There was no
military display. \ few gendarmes
stood about the courts and the ell
tiuhNV hCSlhhS away Aht Nuiiou' Ah'p
the courtyard. beginning ut . o'clock.
drove the statesmen, slngly or inpairs;
their cars were parked in the yard:
tattere,l French flag surmounted the
long, low building upon which tho
eyes Of the whole world are fixed;
two attendants not In livery took the
hats Of the visitors. placed them on a
rack and motioned the way to the
room Of Foreign Minister Pichon.
adjoining the large room where the
delegates were TO begin 10 meet o.
, morrow.
President Arrives Unrecognis
President Wilson and Secretary
Lansing, representing the United
states, arrived separately. None in
the crowd about the entrances seemed
to recognize the President, sitting
back in the car with his wife Premier
Clemenceau followed; he was alon>
and was cheered. Premier Orlando
and Foreign Minister Sonnino Of Italy
came next. and after them British
Premier Lloyd George and Foreign
Minister Balfour. There was So IT.
tie to the spectacle that the crowd left
and went 10 look Mt the swollen
Seine.
The members of the conference took
seats in the gil0ed armchairs, Presl.
dent Wilson next to Premier Clemen-
ceau, the Italians next and the Brit
ish after them. These were the only
persons actually at the table al
though there were several intcrpre.
ters.
The military situation was de-
scribed by Marshal Foch as the basis
for extending the arm!stice; then the
organization Of the conference was
taken up and the question of admit.
ting smaller bclllgercnts was dis.
cusSed.
SO many questions still were un,
settled when the conference adjourned
That il must meet again tomorrow.
This will postpone the full meeting Of
the delegates scheduled for Monday
will be held. The President is much
disappointed by the prospect Of further
delay.
Americans Not Informed
Foreign Minister Pichon'S recent
statement that France had rejected
thc British request for the Russian
BolSheviki to have seat at the peace
table. apparently WAS Socialist ma.
nTuvre. Ii published in Humdnife.
II Socialist journal, with an asser-
ton that the British proposal was
made in an identlc note to Washing.
ton and Toxic. Secretary Lansing
expressed his surprise and complete
igorance of the matter, rs did other
Americans. No official statement was
forthcoming from the British or
French until yesterday afternoon,
when the French admitted the au-
thenticity of the report.
II IS uncertain what form WAS taken
by the British proposal that the Rus
sian Soyiets should have Il representa-
ton In the peace conference. but the
American statements make 1t clear
that 1t WIS not an identic note \
curious diplomatic situation would
seem 10 have been preciplta.pd. I'm
view OF the positive statements by
leading members Of the America
commission thns Ia many recent con
yersations on th's very subject, some
OF them as late as Friday, no such pro-
posal ever was mentioned by the Brit.