Republican farmer., 1919-08-08
WORLD CONGRESS OF LABOR CLASS
 IN WASHINGTON
Plans for This Great Event Are Rapidly Being Form
 ed and Shaped
PEACE TREATY HAS
 PROVIDED FOR MEET
Wilson Is Expected to Open the Conference to Dis
 cuss Problems


 Washington, August 1.-The great est labor convocation the world has ever known will come together in Washington during the latter part of October.
 Plans for the International Labor Conference, provided for in the Treaty of Versailles, are rapidly talk ing shape. By no means are all the details determined, but in the main the resolution passed by the House few days ago authorizing the Presi- dent to proceed with the invitation and call for the conference, accord inG to the request made of the United States in the treaty, has hastened and suhstantiated the work so that the whole project is taking shape.
 Twenty-two nations have signtfied their intention of sending delegates to the conference. None of these na- tions, except Great Britain, Argentina and Spain, who have ratified the Peace Treaty, is eligible at the pres- ent writing; but the notices of inten- ton to participate gives a heartening assurance to the supporters of the Presidents peace program and the treaty and Covenant that the treaty will be ratified all over the world by action that can reasonably be expect ed some time between now and No- vember 1, when the conference will be on.
 The twenty-five notifications which have been received by cable are those of Great Britain, Belgium, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, Cze- cho-Slovakia, France, Italy, Hedjaz, Japan, Peru, Poland, Rumanfa, Ser via, Siam, Argentina, Chill, Holland, Norway, Spain and Switzerland.
 Keen interest Is being displayed in the arrangements for the conference by the representatives of foreign Gov ernments in Washington. It is under stood that the Secretary of Labor, to whom all the plans for the conference have been turned over by President Wilson, may soon announce the dis patch of the official invitations and the exact date in October. Secretary Wilson has set apart offices and as- SiStantS for the work of the confer ence, and Is already concerning him. self with the important steps to be taken. He is deeply interested in the signifiance of this meeting Nothing ever has been held in labor circles which will approach the standing and scope of this conference. It will be attended by several hundred dele gates.
 About forty five nations, those on the original list of the roster of the League of Nations and the nations who were invited to become members, may send delegates to the conference each nation in addition having the right to appoint expert advisers in the special labor fields which will be considered.
 There was some thought at first of having the conference held in the White House. The prospect of at- tendance, however, almost prec1udes such meeting place and it is un- likely that the plan will be followed. Wherever the stage is set, in all prob ability the President will open the conference with an address = and those who are now engaged in scan- ming the outlook believe that there will follow a wealth of important dis cussion in which many countries will take part without formality and more in the nature of an inclusive sym posium.
 The conference may last for a month and even longer. The pro- gram of topics specified in the la bor. clauses of the treaty Is enough in itself to bring out lengthy discus sion and it is more than likely that
 
 meeting will draw to it, perhaps only in informal manner, the consideration of other current problems in the worlds labor situation. No more sig nificant time could be chosen for an international labor conferences; and although this seems a noteworthy fact to outside observers, it is said to be exactly what the labor leaders ex- Dected when the whole subject was under discussion at the labor confer ence held simultaneously with the other Peace Conference deliberations. The present labor situation was fore seen and great advantage is expected from the coming conference in stabil- :zing and allevfating labor conditions, in planning for future emergencies and in putting labor upon the same secured peace footing that the League of Nations assures for other divisions of a world peace.
 The conference, in effect, will be the first meeting of a labor league of nations-the continuation of a movement that has been going on for twenty or thirty years. world plan for labor that has reached the pres ent compromise form after having been debated by representatives of many countries with diverse theories.
 
 the coming conference, which Is in reality to be a permanent institution under the League, with annual meet frgs ought to have power for inter- national labor legislation or the crea- ton of an international labor code The labor representatives of the United States, when the matter was brought up at Paris, were averse to such a plan. However, much Of the actual procedure and precedent will be established ct the first meeting.
 The organizing committee for the conference is now sitting in London. with a representative of the United States in an official capacity. Dr. Etbelbert Stewart acts in this capa-'l city, although his participation Is in formal as the United States Is and will be ineligible to any part, except that of a nominal host. until the Ver- sail1es Treaty Is ratified In septem- Der this committee will move to Washington to continue its arfange- ments. If the United States by that time is entitled to official representa-