Evening star., 1920-01-16
NEW WORLD BORN
ASLEAGUE MEETS
FIRST TINE, CLAIM
U. S. Only Power Named in
Covenant Not Represented
in Council in Paris.
EARLY PARTICIPATION
OF AMERICA HOPED FOR
Commission Named to Trace Sarre
Frontiers-Irish Republic Pro-
tests Formation of League.
BY the Associa ted Press.

By the Associated Press.
PARIS, January Ie.-Representa-
| tives of France. Great Britain. Italy.
Greece. Belgium, Spain. Japan and
Brazil, members of the council of the
| league of nations, met in the clock
room of the French foreign office at
10 o'clock this morning for the first
| meeting in the history of the league.
The council organized at 1880
O'Clock by electing Leon Bourgeois
chairman and confirming the choice
of Sir Eric Drummond of Great Brit
| tain as general secretary.
The first official act of the council
| was the appointment of a commits
sion to trace upon the spot the from
tiers of the territory of the Sarre
| basin.
Only U. s. Delegates Absent.
| All the members of the council
| called for by the covenant OF the
/ leag with the exception of the rep
| resentatives of the United states,
were present when M. Bourgeois
called the meeting to order. Besides
NJ. Bourgeois the members were Earl
| CurZon, the British foreign secretary.
| for Great Britain; Premier Nenlzelos.
for Greece; Cairo~ Ferraris, Italian
minister of industry. commerce. labor
and food. for Italy; Paul Hymans. the
Belgian foreign minister. for BEL
gium; Baron Matsui. ambassador TO
France. for Japan; DR.. Gastoa da Cum
ha, ambassador to France. for Brazil:
Count Guinones de Leon, ambassador
to France, for Spain.
Premier Lloyd George Of Great
Britain and Viscount Grey dropped
| into the meeting at an early stage.
Mr.. Lloyd George soon retired. how
ever. Viscount Grey remaining. He
was invited to front seat
| Was Mr.. Wilson's Honor.
Leon Bourgeois. Franch representa-
| tive who presided, said:
1.-The task of presiding at this meet
| ing and inaugurating this great inter-
national institution should have fallen
to President Wilson. We respect the
reasons which still delay final decision
by our friends in Washington. put ex,
press the hope that their difficulties Will
soon be overcome and that repre-
| sentative of the great American repub-
lie will occupy the place awaiting him
among us. The work of the council
will then assume definite character. and
will have that particular force which
should be associated with our work
Date of Birth OF New World.
| January l6, 1920, will go down in
history as the date of the birth OF a
new world. Decisions to be reached to-
day will be in the name of all nations
adhering to the covenant of the league.
1t will be the first decree of all free
nations leaguing themselves together
for the first time in the world to sub
stitute right for might. But the organi-
zation of the league of nations will not
| be complete until the assembly Of all
| the states meets"
Earl CurZon, British secretary of
state for foreign affairs, and that ma
| tion's representative on the council OF
the league, said
| "On behalf of the British empire /
desire to express the loyalty of my
| government and the external domin-
ions of the British crown to the spirit
underlying the covenan- of the league
| of nations. 1t is our intention by
every means in our power to insure
| it's practical efficiency. 1t is our firm
belief that through it's instrumental
| ity alone we can hope to insure that
such miseries that the world has ex-
perienced during the past five years
shall not be repeated and that new
era of international relationship p
shall dawn.
Voices Universal Desire.
THE league of nations is an ex-
| preston of the universal desire Tor
saner methods of regulating affairs OF
mankind, and provides machinery by
which practical effect may be given
the principles of international friend
ship and good understanding. The
success of the labors of the peace con-
ference is a good augury for the fu-
ture of the league of nations. For the
first time an attempt was made to
| bring together under the auspices OF
the league representatives of govern
ments. employees and labors, and an
advance exceeding the results Of the
entire work of the previous quarter
| of a century has been made in the
field of International action on indus
| trial questions.
| Irish Assail League.
| The council of the league of nations
received the first formal protest to be
presented to it almost before it came
into being with todays initial sessions.
The protest was from 'the ENJOYS OF
the elected government Of the Irish re-
public" against 1.-The unreal English
simulacre of an international league Of
peace"
No mention Of the protest was made
during the meeting of the council, but
copies were handed to the newspaper
correspondents after they left the for
eign Office The document was signed
sOuaklaigh Duffy" 1t registered OBJ
jections to the pretended league of ma
tions" and declared the league to be an
"engine of empire, designed to secure
and perpetuate English hegemony
throughout both hemispheres."
The protest insisted that the league
was illusory and incomplete. lacking
authority and sanction, and declared
that the United States stood out "in in
dignation and reputation" of it.