The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-01-28
COMMISSIONS
|. OF CONGRESS
START WORK
ON PROBLEMS
Supreme Council at Session
Takes Up Question Of Ger
man Colonies = Military
Committee Hears Evidence.
SMALL NATIONS AGREE

PARIS, Jan. 28.-With peace con-
ference committees beginning consid-
Grafton OF the great and perplexing
questions referred to them. the SUI
preme council in session today resum-
ed discussion of territorial and other
questions, with especia! reference TO
the future of former German colonies.
The nineteen small powers. sitting
in the peace conference, at harmon
ious session yesterday. gave their full
support to the working organization
outlined BY the large powers. and Sc
lected their representatives to serve
on committees. charged with consio-
Grafton of many difficult problems.
This was largely due to the skilful
direction of Jules Cambon, French
delegate, and former ambassador, at
Washington, who was designated by
the council of the great powers to pre-
side over the meeting of the small
powers.
For a time there was some appre-
hension of the sequel to the different
viewpoints expressed at Saturdays
conference, but the meeting of the
small powers was without incident or
renewal of the claims then set up for
increased representation on the yari-
Gus committees. Belgium, Serbia. Rou-
mania and all the other small powers
had their full delegations at the meet
ing.
Praises Small Nations.
I NJ. Cambon. in opening the session,
alluded to the great part Belgium had
taken in the war. He then paid
tribute to the work of Serbia, Rou-
mania, Greece and the others. This
dissipated any lingering shadows OF
disagreement, and the meeting pro-
ceeded with entire harmony.
In the meantime the council OF the
great powers held two sessions during
the days. resulting In the formation OF
two new cQmmisaioQ t. deal with y
nancfaj sub jecfs and the question OF
private and maritime laws.
The council also proceeded to hear
fnRs on the disposition of the con-
Quered German colonies in the Pacific
and the far east, a final conclusion not
being reached. The conference is
giving evidence of real progress since
the committees were named, and most
of these bodies have begun their work.
President Wilson. who is chairman
of the committee of the league OF ma
tions, Joined his colleague, E. NJ. House
also a member of that committee, dur
ing the noon recess of the council.
Later in the day, Lord Robert Cecil.
British member of the committee. join
ed him in a further consideration OF
the questions which the president and
Mr.. House had examined.
The labor commission also began
to get under way. President Wilson
met Samuel Gompers, president of the
American Federation of Labor; James
Duncan, John r. Alpine. and other
members of the American Labor dele
CATION, for a brief exchange of greet
ings, and later Mr.. Gompers and Ed
ward N. Hurley, who are the American
members of the labor commission. held
their first conference of the work
ahead.
Henry White. American delegate on
the waterways commission, also es.
ia blished relations with his colleagues
of that body.
The committee appointed by the isu-
preme council to consider how many
allied and American troops shall be
kept on the western front received re-
ports yesterday from experts concern
ing the situation on the Rhine and in
Germany.
Much remains to be done before the
committee can make a final recon-
mendation to the supreme council con-
cerning the exact number Of soldiers
Of each nationality required for gar
rison purposes in Germany and the
protection of the frontier.
The determination of the American
war department to return the Ameri-
can troops in Europe to their homes
will not be affected by any decisions
reached by the committee. There will
be no departure from the plan arrang-
ed for the return of the troops, allow
ance having been made In advance for
The retention in Germany and Russia
OF all American soldiers regarded as
forr,1ag fair quota for the United
States.