The Bismarck tribune., 1919-04-03
First Full and Accurate Por-
trayal Of What Took Place in
Room s5l During the 30
Hours When 10 Men Framed
international Constitution.

:. Hhsa. .
international Constitution.
PAsis-During the time when thu
League of Nations covenant was beint
written meetings Of 10 men were held
dn$Col. Houses room on the thirdfiool
Of the Hotel Crillon, the, workshop OF
the American Commission to Negotiate
Peace. There the commission on the
League of Nations drew up its cove
nant.
There is nothing particularly i'm.
presslve about Room 35l. 1t is the
kind of reception room that may be
found in many a French hotel: 1t is
large, high and decorated in the rather
elaborate style. But whatever its ap'
pearance may be while. It Is being used
for everyday purposes, it assumed a
wholly different look during the meet
1ngs OF the commission. -
In the center Of the room, big
round table covefeil with red cloth.
Around the table 10 chairs for the 10
members Of the commission. Slightly
behind yet scattered thru this circle
Of seats, number Of other chairs
for French and English translators.
In the corners, three or four desks,
and around the, walls occasional chairs
fof any secretaries whom the members
might care to bring with them. All
Ii all, the tables might have been laid
for Il meeting Of the cabinet or an
American board Of directors.
Gin this room the commission met 10
times during the II days. They came
together in the morning, afternoon or
evening at hours which would not con-
f1ict with the program of the Peace
Conferences itself whose work envisag-
ed their own, or. with that Of the Su-
preme War Council, then engaged upon
pressing questions relating to the re-
newal Of the armistice.
1T might be figured out that the
meetings averaged three hours in
length !; but it Is hardly appropriate
to speak 'of averages in this connec-
tion. No time was set by the commits
sion for the termination of the days
work. There was a job to- be done,
and 4 man i own time was secondary
consideration. Nobody looked at the
Clsck. s
ltAppears ipconceivable that con-
stitnkDn of !, the League Of Nations
could have. been. drawn in 80 hours.
q. N9a done hnt the bald statement
-, fniele2 ding, for it fails to take. GER
tA9n sthngs INTO account. 1t, says moth
iig,for instance, OF single e9pedienE
kyS which the task OF the commissiGa
WAsclt clearly III halE
\ Whether. one spoke in English or In
Credch: .it made no difference Az
Ne txtked there might be heard the low
hmm Of Interpreters translating his
remarks word BY word and phrase by
, phflse. ''s ffs'zss
Eevery moment Of the 80 hours was
made to work, and no time was lost in
the slow hut: prevailing process Of re-
translation. f..
1tsfails likewise to reckon in all the
thought which had previously been
given to the subject. Each one Of the
statesmen who sat around the table
had formulated definite ideas on the
subject, and came to the conferences
With an illuminated and active mind
Lord Robest Cecil with his scholar
" mind, his. practical sense and hos
1StSe vision was ably, seconded in pre-
senting the point OF view Of the British
empire BY General SHUTS, the great
1oer leader Of other days, a member
0f the British ar Council and the au
nQof 4 widely read pamphlet Of th'
league idea. Leon Bourgeois, wei
advanced in years of service at thu
Hague conferences in the interests O1
peace, had with him Larnaude, dear
of the faculty Of law at the Paris
School Of Law. Orlando, 1tOly's vivid
prime minister and an eminent jnrist
a. well, had Senator Scialoja as hi
colleague In expressing the mind Of
the Rovernment at Rome; while Baron
MAkinO, Japanese foreign minister, and
viGcQunt Chtnda, her ambassador al
London. cont tributed the keen and quiet
opinion Of the far eastern country.
Though these five powers were each
represented by. two members on ths
conuision, Its deliberations were moi
dominated BY their views. There alst
at down to the table Hymans, the Bel
Gton foreiRn minister; Senator Pessoa
q nrazil; v. X. Wellington Koo
Chlna,a minister at Washington Kra
naaf4 prime minister of the Czecho
NcRAk republic; Venizelos, prime min
ADtSE III 0IcCCC DAOWS pACSWCAL VI
~ Polish National Committee Jayne
1etalha Reis Portuguese minister K
Hefxp9tad; !; DiamandV, minister pleni
potaptiary Of sRumania, and Vesnitch
Sefbian minister at Paris.
4 1hey included representatives Of th'
1are6st, South America, and the old
est4and the newest states Of Europe
This striking group Of statesmen, 81
keenlys interested. that they presented
d unbfoken record OF attendance a
the meetings, contributed to the dis
cnsAdns q force aud . vision which
14la1540 that Of the greater powers.
IN 1neetings were; tnsinesslike to {
0e1t4e. The members invariably
come taDpther on the hour, exchanged
sword Of greeting as they made thei
WaNtp their seats, took the document
4 tie day out Of their portfolios, ant
proceeded With the next article. Eaci
of them found on the table before hin
GIVES WIFE ADLER-I-KA
GyAife Waa pronounced incurabl'
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