The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-10-10
BILLING NATIONS
How League of Nations Apportions
 and Collects Expenses

London, September 15.-A great many
 tourists call at the League of Nations
 with the idea of looking over what is an historic institution. But the league.
 housed in three buildings, has none of
 the thrills of an old castle or West minister abbey. It is about as dull as an embassy. More than that, unless the tourist knows an enploye, he is not permitted to stroll about and pick up pens and ink wells as souvenirs. The one office that he may enter is the sec tion of informatidn-in other words, the department of publicity-and here he finds a full-fledged American with American assistants in charge, in an ordinary office with ordinary desks and only one swivel chair, therefore much | less exciting than an ordinary Ameri-
 can baik.
 The league offices are very busy one would think that much international negotiation was being transacted. As matter Of fact, the present activity | is to prepare for a meeting in Brussels next month of the section of finance and economies. which the German rep lresentatives are to attend.
 This section of finance is practically lconducted on an American basis The director is Sir Robert Ames, graduate of Amherst College, whose father, lcongresman from Massachusetts. nov ] ing to Canada, became naturalized British subject. The Ames shoe fac tory is the largest in Canada. But it is with American college and business experience that Sir Herbert conducts his difficult office. It is to i him that the league looks for funds to
 carry on it's work. The funds are pro vided by the member government in a scheme of apportionment based on the International Postal Union. The Postal Union divides the cost of international mail carrying into 500 parts. Each of 1 the supreme powers is charged un a basis of twenty-five parts, the next in importance twenty. and so on down through seven classifications of na- | ltions.
 To establish the league each of the member nations were called upon by Sir Herbert for the Postal Union share of expense. At a huge cost the secre- | tary-general of the league recently bought the largest hotel in Geneva to house the league permanently. The | great sum required and more for run ming expenses was divided into nation l al parts and straight American busi l. ness letters sent to the head of each government asking fos an early remit tance.
 1 It happened that few of the small
 CT nations did not respond speedily to
 the first dun. Sir Herbert then dic-
 tated second letter after the Ameri
 can fashion and it always brings re-
 suits. There are no delinquents being carried along so far in the league In l deciding on the policy of his section l in dealing with nations, it is said he | believed a straight business. rather
 than a devious diplomatic scheme was
 best to the purpose. It is more honest I to begin with and there never IS a chance for ambiguity. However. he does allow himself one foreign office courtesy. The second dunning letter to
 nations always begins: May I venture | to suggest" which is said to be 1 characteristic of the correspondence of President Wilson.
 l While the cost of establishing the league in Geneva will be a huge sum. I the expense will not be so great as that required by the plans of Colonel House who when he visited Geneva bought