Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-07-20
Geneva, Cradle of Red Cross, Unanimously
| Chosen as Seat of the League of Nations
Future Welfare Of World
to Be Guided at . Little
City on Foot Of Largest
European Mountain.
By MARIE WIDMER.

Right in the heart OF bleeding
Europe there remained through oil
the terrible years Of war. frightful-
ness one sacred spot, which, a. the
months and years slipped by since
that tragic August day in 1914. has
become known as haven of refuge
for the homeless and \ sister of
mercy for all war sufferers. Of all
nationalities and all creeds-Swit-
xerland.
Switzerland is the one happy land
in Europe where different races and
different creeds live tremendously
together. Allemanic, French. Ital-
ian and Romansch are the languages
spoken in the little mountain repub-
lie, who has spent millions to safe
guard her absolute neutrality, which
has proven an undestroyable tie be-
tween her people during the long
perturbed years of the war.
Neutral Geneva Chosen.
And this most conscientious of
neutrals, who, when making known
its desire to become member OF
the league of nations laid particular
stress on the fact that it wished even
then to remain perpetually neutral,
has now been chosen to become the
future homeland of that heaven-in-
spired, noble creation of the peace
conference. with the radiantly beau
tiful lake CITY of Geneva as its per-
manent abode.
While France and Belgium, as &C
tual martyrs of the great war, were
pressing their special claims for this
honor on behalf of-the latter. Presi-
dent Wilson is quoted as having told
the delegates in his counter argu
ment and what proved to be the de-
cisive speech in favor of Geneva:
"You will not dare to choose a city
IS the capital of the league of ma
tons which incarnates the enmity
between races-a city which has
been wronged, doubtless. but which
makes a reconciliation between the
peoples of Europe more distant by
the very wrongs it has suffered"
Geneva in the Early Days.
Geneva was occupied by a settle
ment long ago, but there is no ex-
act record when the colony began.
Caesar found here town Of the Al
-loborges that he called Geneva and
he actually cut the bridge over the
Rhone which connected it with the
right bank Of the river, in order to
prevent the passage of the Helvetes.
When Gaul was organized under
Roman administration, Geneva was
included in the province of Gallia
Narbonensis. The city adopted
Christianity in the fourth century
and quickly became the religious
capital of great diocese. Occupied
in the fifth century by the Burgun-
dams, Geneva formed part of the
first kingdom of Burgundy, and fell
along with it, in 534, into the hands
of the Franks.
In 1888 the second Burgundian
kingdom, east of the Jura, was
founded on the ruins of the Carlow
ingian empire and Geneva became
one of its chief towns. The last
king, Rudolf III, left his crown to
the Emperor Conrad the Salic in the
year 1882 and Geneva thus became
an imperial city and the local gov
eminent, at that time administered
BY \ bishop, was permitted to de-
velop with considerable freedom.
The prelate was at the same time
temporal ruler of the city and spirit
ual head OF diocese partly occu-
pied by mobiles as powerful as him
self, and in the end even more pow
erful. One of these, the Count Of
Savoy, succeeded, after having de-
stroyed the power of the counts Of
Geneva, his rivals. in possessing him
self of the episcopal castle and OF the
dignity of the vidomnat, or temporal
function of the church Gin 1900.
The beginning of the 10Th century
was marked by the breaking out of
the, final struggle between the -ople
of Geneva and the Duke of Savoy,
when the citizens were divided into
two parties, the Mamelukes, or fol-
lowers of the house Of Savoy, and
the Huguenots (from Eidgenossen-