The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-01-19
Responsibility for Starting
of War Gets Early Place
on Calendar.
CLEMENCEAU IN CHAIR
French Premier Chosen
Unanimously on Nomina-
tion by Wilson.
MOST OF WORK IN SECRET
Method Devised by Which Re-
publicans in Senate Will Be
Informed Privately.
MOST OF WORK IN SECRET
BY LAURENCE HILLS.

StaF Correspondent Of THE SuN
Copyright 1859: all rights reseyred.
PARIS, Jan. 1S.-The curtain has
risen at last upon the final act Of the
great war. Standing between his
brother President Of the United States
and Foreign Minister Balfour OF
Great Britain and facing the dele
gates of the twenty-seven nations con-
vened to lay the foundation of the
new world peace President Poincars
this afternoon at the Quai d'Orsay
formally opened the Congress Of Paris,
a. it will be known in history. In the
name of France, its host. he solemnly
expressed the hope that it's labors
would end in removing the menace of
aggression by armed force forever
from the world
The fateful character of the con-
ference was emplfaslzed.i these first
proceedings when 1t was determined
not only to write a new world char
ter but to bring to the bar of justice
the authors of the crimes which led
gathering. Premier Clemenceau pre-
sented an indictment virtually of the
Kaiser in proposing that one of the
first acts of the congress should be to
fix the responsibility of the authors of
the war, TO which the congress gave
its unanimous consent. Thus the con.
ference that formally opened to-day
will become the trial court OF The
Kaiser.
League of Nations Next.
OvershadowinS this subject, Pre-
micr Clcmcnceau asserted was the
question OF a league of nations, which,
ton at the next full session of the
peace A)ngreSS
Practically all the seventy-two deie-
gates to the peace conference were as
sembled around the great horseshoe
table in the famous clock room Of the
Foreign Office for the opening scene.
The public was not admitted. but in a
great adjoining room sat the press
representatives. OF three continents
All eyes were fixed upon the Presi.
dent of the United States when in fe-
iicitous phrases he proposed as the
first business Of the conference that
. - tlAynanrna,I hn 10 ,p
manent chairman. marking the first
parliamentary act of America, which
was of epochal character
The peace congress was emphasized
not only by this participation OF
America hut. as Premier Clemenceau
said in the course of his speech OF ac-
cep;ance, IN breaking all historical
rrecedents by throwing open the door
upon its proceedings, in taking up first
the responsibility for breaking the
peace OF the world and in the partic!-
patton of the nations 70 present then
respective national claims.
Hundred Correspondents Present.
All other matters were suspended
to-day for the first meeting OF the
great congress. All the press repre-
sontatives were admitted TO this OPEN
ing, temporarily solving the trou-
blesome question Of publicity, the hun
drcd correspondents taking places in
an adjoining room looking on the pro
ceedinGs through four archways
The crowd outs. de assembled early
along the quay to watch the arrival
Of the delegates, \ company Of French
infantry was posted N the courtyard
with band for the arrival OF the
French President The hail began
filling early with secretaries; the dip
lomats of the smaller nations were the
first of the members TO appear. about
. o'clock
There was 4 gold chair at the head
Of tho horseshoe for Precedent Pom
caire; slowly the other chairs around
the table We're filled. the Indian
princes with their turbans wearing
the only distinctive costumes. Gen
Bliss was among the few uniformed
delegates, the others wearing frock
coats, Their faces alone were tho
index TO their nationalitios.
o7 Nations nt Table.
II WAS an assemblagc OF the states
men OF the world, impressive in tho
picture presented as the spokesmen o.
twenty-sevcn nations arranged them
selves around the long tables America
and Great Britain were at the head ~
the horseshoe. where the two longi
tudinal tables were Joined. on the
outside Of tho loft hand table sat
Britain's children, whose recognition
was one OF the greatest acts of the
conference, Australia first. Canada
next and India next. The japanese
came after tho British colonies
INSIDE Of both tables sat tho ama,lo'
nations cuba and America ward