The Bismarck tribune., 1919-04-03
HoW,bEAGUBI0F NATIONS IWASB0RN
Room: ISL Of the Hotel Crilon, the Workshop
{ of the American Commission to
Negotiate Peace
There Commission on League of Nations Drew
Up Its Covenant and Passed It on to- the World

all new papers upon which discussions
might depend. Every day, as the
commission made progress through the
! draft, there was laid Mt each place a
| revised copy indicating just what had
been accomplished on the day before,
II there were amendments to be pro
posed by any member, he saw to it
that they were typewriter and dis
tributed so that each of his colleagues
might examine their merits In advance.
The meetings were marked by ex-
treme simplicity. Diplomatic dress
had disappeared with the diplomacy
| of the past. Each man wore what
| wns, convepient-dinner coat, morning
| coat or business Suit-and the business
| suit prevailed. There was none of
that sense Of the overwhelming signif-
icance OF the task which, is sometimes
the death of decision. They went
about the matter in commonplace
way. ~
President Wilson presided over e7.
cry meeting except the last.
The first meeting was very brief.
The commission came together: the
president spoke few words and laid
before them draft plan which they
agreed to use as the basis of discus
sion. So day after day the draft was
held MP to the light and criticized and
amplified At the end Of the eighth
meeting, the first reading was COM
pleted. .:s =. ~
Though the project emerged run-
hcanged in principle, the draft had
been altered in many details and there
were before the commission various
proposed amendments and changes in
phraseOlogy. 1t was decided to put
the covenant into the hands of a draft.
ing committee composed of NM. M.1.ar-
naude, Lord Robert Cecil VeniZe1os
and Vesnitch for thorough over
hauling.
Late the following evening their
work was finished, and the printing
press was busy all through the night
so that the amended draft might be on
the table the next morning. In ad-
ditiOn the satismaciOn of a job veil
done, the American soldiers who ket |
type and corrected proof and ran the
press, will tretsure the letter Of thanks
which the president sent them before
he sailed. -. 20 |
The second reading began on Thurs
day at 10 clock. but by / only the first |
seven articles had been finally adopted !
Perhaps with the aS.FIlraL..cz tE.1t the /
thirteenth could NOT fail to E-sarl1 IN I
other morasnsols event, tire grpstFtlElE /
excused himself and Left 10 atteEI.a t I
criticaI meeting Of The s3IlreEle Il. i
Council thar afternoon II tls eiriias
a'Drsay II
The commission resumed EiIa!E V14r.s
at 2 30 Id Eile afternoon Under aI.,e
leadersfiiy IT Ldrrt RSilenr CaetI. Einei
by one they took lp Etlr rr.naiuirg 1r-i=5
eies one. by 6r1f. ttlPg ware lasss4L NJ
ON. At IA Larrt Rofer-. sitaiuG low
in his chair vas hdIdi1ig rtIe ;filetss dr
his coat, read Fi1e twenty sixth aE-r.c,fs:
Amendments e5, EiIass sGuauas1Es VIII
Ia ke affect Wien raslried az Tile sr.1rsss
whose representatives. cnmD6se ft1r-eZ~
ecutive council and by rilree~folrTaa 6G
the states whose representatives cfrn-
pose the body ct delsggtea"
"Is there any objection to this ar
ticle?' He waited moment III
not, it is adopted. Gentlemen, GUT
work is done. The, president of the
Tilted States will report our conc1u-
sions to q plenary session OF the con
ference tomorrow.
They left fhe room.