Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-01-18

/ II TdDcts
President POincaire thanked
the allied ma ions for having
chosen Paris for their impOr-
tant work and praised the YalOr
OF the allied armies which had
preserved the capture Of France
from the enemy. The presl-
dents speech was as follows;
Gentlemen: France greets and
thanks you for having chosen as
the seat of your labors the city
which for more than four years the
enemy has made his principal mill
tary objective rnd which the valor
Of the allied armies has VIGOROUSLY
defended against increasingly re-
newed offensives.
Permit me TO see IN your deci-
zion the homage OF all the nations
that you represent toward n coun-
( try which more than any other on
( Gured the sufferin6s OF war, OF
which entire provinces have been
: transformed into n vast battlefield
and have been systematically laid
waste by the invader. and which has
/ paid the human tribute In death"
Pays Tribute TO L. ). Aid.
/ Referring TO America, President
, PoinCaire said today.
/ The intervention or the United
States was something more, some
thing greater than Il great event.
II was supreme Judgment passed
! at the bar Of history by the lofty
. conscience OF q free people and their
chief magistrate on the enormous
I responsibilities incurred In the
frightful conflict which was lascer-
ating humanity. II was not only 20
protect itself from the audacious
aims OF Germany that the United
States equipped fleets and created
immense armies. but also and above
ALL TO defend an ideal OF liberty
over which # saw the huge shad-
ow the imperial eagle encroach-
Ing further every day. America,
the daughter Of Europe, crossed tho
ocean to rescue her mother from tho
humiliation OF thraldbm and to save
civilization"
With the assemblyinr OF the
first full session OF tho
bects of the notable gathering OF
statesmen making rapid progress
With its work seemed enhanced by
the apparent defeat or Bolshevism
IN Germany, thus opening the Way
TO the stabilizing of the government
and the prospect OF its being able 20
send responsible representative 10
he conference.
Na1On League First Task.
The congress Is expected 10 de-
vote Itself single -minuedly TO the
creation Of league OF ma ions, and
the first steps toward formation of
Lhat league, it Is understood, Will
be undertaken today. A study OF
The methods by which the league
can be organized will be committed
formally to an inter-allied commit
tee, by the congress, which will pre-
sent the result or It's labors for rati-
acation At the windup Of the con-
gress.
Ali questions at issue, cf what
ever kind, will be settled before the
enemy delegates arrive, the allied
ministers recognizing the vital im-
portance OF presenting an unbrokeu
front TO the enemy. AS regards
Russia, IL is ated that the five
lie lding powers have agreed that
her representation by any Russian
element is impossible for the mo-
nent. II is argued that the admis-
sion of former Premier LvOf or
any other man who figured IN pre-
Nious Russian governments Nigh,
give the Bolsheviki chance 10 de-
clare that the powers were sup
PORTING 4 monarchical regime.
Great Powers 10 Decide.
AS TO the other questions before
;he congress, territorial. financial
and economic, the order OF their
consideration " II be indicated Ia
the rules Of procedure 10 be read by
Premier Clemenceau as president OF
he congress. II is understood that
the method Of work will be such
mat each delegation will record its
opinion on each QueS ion IN a mc-l-
orandum which IT. will hand 10 the
general secretariat The five great
powers. the organizers Of the con-
ference. will deliberate on these
memoranda, either making a Geci-
sion at once or inviting the dele
gates Of the coun rl2s especially Rf-
fected by the qrestion at issue 10
come and discuss il with them.
Thus the 25 representatives OF the
great powers will act In a way as
the arbitrators of the conflicting
claims OF the small nations
Few Plenary Siitlngs.
BY tlis method there will be few
plenary sittiugs, there being no rea-
son for holding them except when
the question is one OF ratifying an
entire category Of decisions affect
ing the assembled states as a whole
and above all when the figure fu-
lure organization OF the world. that
IS to say the question OF a league Of
nations. is dealt with