The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-02-23
WORK OF COMMISSION

Paris, February 22-For the first time
 the veil which has concealed the inner
 working of the commission of the peace
 conference which prepared the plan of the
 league of nations has been lifted. It is
 now possible to disclose at least some of the facts connected with the achieve
 ments by which 19 men in 30 working
 hours wrought the plan, which, if their expectations arc realized, is to prevent
 future warfare.
 The scene was in Room 35I of the Hotel de Crillon, Colonel Houses work
 shop. It is large and ornately dec-
 orated chamber, such as is common to
 many Paris hotels. It had been turned into a business office. Around big red
 table sat the 1s members of the commits
 sion. and behind them were seated trans
 lators, secretaries and experts.
 times in II days
 In this room the commission met 10
 Tho hours were irregular, as most of
 the commissioners were obliged frequent
 1y to interrupt the special work to attend
 meetings of other commissions. No time
 was set for the sessions or for the ter
 mination of the days work. Time was
 a secondary consideration, and nobody
 looked at the clock.
 MUCH TIME SAVED
 At tho outset. tho task was cut in half
 hy dispensing with the tedious process of
 
 close behind the commissioners, and in low tones translated the remarks of the speakers word by word. Much time was also saved bypreparatory work, each
 statesman coming to the conference with well formulated and definite ideas re- garding the league of nations. as a result | of many private conferences which had
 been held between them from the time \ President Wilson landed in France. } The meetings were business-like to a de- ! gree. The members met on the hour, | greeting each other politely but shortly; K took their documents out of their port hfolios and proceeded immediately with .ftae next article. Before each was re- lsvised, a copy of the preceding days rec X ord, as we'll as of all new papers relat- ing to the subjects likely to come before F{theEf. was distributed. The members pro- ljposine amendments had them typewrit- kjten and they were handed to their col- Aleagues in advance, to insure quick ac- y Extreme simplicity prevailed Diplomat 1 ic dress disappeared with the diplomacy \ of the past. Business suits were worn. b The members went about the matted in ' a conamonplace way. There were no X orations, no spinning out of technical xpoints. Plain speaking prevailed. Ste nographic reports were barred, to restrain ] oratory and to encourage the reticent fII I{)meetings except one. When some of the members looked far into the future he ' N,brcuEht them back to the thing in hand EI with the remark:
 'A -.,entlemen, have no doubt that the I next generation will be made up of men as intelligent as you or I, and think we can tryst the league to manage it's own sAffairA.''
 FIRST MEETING BRIEF D The first meeting on February l was Al very brief. The President spoke few words and presented draft of the plan, ,v hich the commissioners agreed to use as the basis of discussion. Day after day ] this was criticized and amplified. and on a February 12 at the eighth meeting, the fsfirst reading was completed.
 " Though the project emerged unchanged Yin principle, many amendments were kper ding. A drafting committee attended To this, and the American soldiers who Aset the typo, corrected the proofs and ran E1the press which turned out the final draft. Twill treasure the letter of thanks which &he President sent to them before he 9Jsailed.
 Tho final meeting on February 1s had fA4 <r>~<4~->l ~w p.~A EixhfN