New-York tribune., 1919-10-29
" orld Lab or
p Farley ill
Convene Today
International Conference,
Provided For in League,
10 Open in Washington;
Postponement Is Averted
Technically Overcome
Meeting To Be Gin Process
of Being Organized'' Till
Peace Treaty. Is Ratified

WASHINGTON. Oct. 2S.-The first
Of the international bodies created by
the Treaty of Versailles to meet in
America, the international Labor Con-
ference, will convene at noon to-mor-
row in Washington. Sessions of The
conference are expected to continue
for virtually a month and to lay the
foundation of worldwide movement
for improvement and Standardization
e workers.
Although the legal status of the
gathering still is held in doubt in
some quarters. members of the or
ganzng committee and officials of the
Department of Labor were agreed to-
day that the. delegates who have ar
rived, representing more than thirty
countries, should proceed to organize
some sort Of conference and discuss
the agenda prescribed in the peace
treaty Secretary of Labor Wilson
still holds the view that only those
states which have ratified the treaty
can participate in the official confer
ence which is q part of the machinery
Of the !eague of nations.
Plan to Avert Postponement
A plan, however, has been proposed
which is expected to reconcile techni-
cal legality with the practical neces-
sity Of holding the conference al this
time without postponement.
In opening the conference tomorrow
Secretary Wilson will describe the as
sembly as the conference in the
process OF being orgainzed,v it was
SAID to-day. Through this interpreta ta-
ton, it WIS pointed out, the provision
of the treaty calling for the opening
Of such 4 conference on October 80
will De fulfilled, and advantage will be
taken OF the power of the United States
as "organlzer" of the conference to
admit ne~ions which have not ratified
thetreaty.
The organizing committee met with
Secretary Wilson and advisers on in
ternational law to-day, and an agree
nent was reached as to the policy to
be pursued in the absence of objections
rom delegates. Should the question
Of validity be raised it will be deter
mined by the conference itself.
II the recommendation of the organ
lzlng committee is carried out. the pro-
gram tomorrow, following Secretary
Wilson'S address, will consist of an
address by John Barrett, director of
the Pan American Union; report of
Arthur Fontaine, of France. committee
chairman; provisional adoption Of
draft, standing orders and election of
committee on credentials.
Admission of Foes Favored
The question of the admission OF
Germany and Austria also will be
submitted tomorrow. While the or
ganizing committee will not make
recommendation on this point, in
dividuals expressed themselves as
strongly in favor of their participa.
ton from the time of their arrival.
Following the conference session.
separate meetings of delegates rep
resenting governments, employers and
workers will be called for the pur-
pose of choosing nominees for officers
Of the conference and the secretarial
board The election of officers and
the report Of the committee on
credentials will take place Thurs
Gay.
The conference will settle down to
work Friday, taking up first the ques-
zion OF the eight-hour day and the
forty-e.gsf lar week. according to
present plans.
The opening of the meeting of the
International Federation of Trade
Unions, called to meet Monday, was
postponed again to-day, owing to
lurther delav in the arrival of W. A
appleton, OF England, president. and
other officials No date was set for
the meeting, but J. Oudcgeest, of Hol-
land, secretary, stated that the labor
un.on ne" may await developments in
fne international labor conference.