Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-01-23
HOLDS
FIRST SESSION
World Union Formally Started in
French Foreign Office
at Paris.
PROTEST FROM The irish
Leon Bourgeois. Presiding Officer, in
Addressing the Council, Expresses
Regret at Absence of United
States at the OPENING.

Paris, Jan. Representatives 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 for the first
meeting in the history of the league.
The council organized at 1O:3O
o'clock by electing Leon Bourgeois
chairman and confirming the choice of
Sir Eric Drummond of Great Britain
as general secretary.
The first official act of the council
was the appointment of a commission
70 trace upon the spot the frontiers
OF the territory of the Sarre basin.
The council received its first formal
protest to be presented to it almost
before it came into being with today's
initial session. The protest was from
the ENJOYS Of the elected government
of the Irish republic" against "the un-
real English simulance of an inter-
national league of peace"
Leon Bourgeois, French representa-
tive, who presided, said:
"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, but ex.
press the hope that their difficulties
soon will be overcome and that a rep
resentative of the great American re-
public will occupy the place awaiting
him among us. The work of the coun-
Gil will then assume definite charac.
ter and will have that particular force
which should be associated with our
work.
January 16, 1920, will 90 down in
history as the date of the birth of a new
world. Decisions to be reached will
be in the name of all nations adher.
ing to the first 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 or
ganization of the League of Nations
will not be complete until the assem-
bly, of all the states meets"
Earl Curzon, British secretary OF
state for foreign affairs, and that ma
tion's representative on the council O.
the league, said:
son behalf Of the British empire,
desire to express the loyalty of my
government and the external domin
ions of the British crown to the spiri
underlying the covenant Of the League
of Nations. 1t is our intention, b,
every means in our power, to insure
its practical efficiency. 1t is our firm
belief that through its instrumentalit,
alone we can hope to insure that sucl
miseries that the world has expert
enced during the last five years shal
not be repeated and that a new era O.
international relationship shall dawn
"The League of Nations is an ex
preston of the universal desire fo
saner methods of regulating affairs O
mankind, and provides machinery b,
which practical effect may be giver
the principles of international friend
ship and good understanding. The sue
cess Of the labors of the peace con
ference is a good augury for the flu
ture of the League of Nations. .for tn
first time an attempt was made t,
bring together under the auspices O
the league Representatives of govern
ments, employees and labor, and al
advance exceeding the results of tn
entire work Of the previous quarter O
century has been made in the fiel,
of international action on industria
questions"
All the members of the council call
ed for by the covenant of the league
with the exception of the representa-
tives of the United States, were pres
ent when M. Bourgeois called tn
meeting to order.
After the appointment Of the com
missioners, NJ. Bourgeois propose
London as the place for the next meet
ing of the council, and this was an
proved. Lord Curzon suggested leay
ing the date and the order of busines
open, to be decided by the chairma
and the secretary, since, he said, 81
will be necessary to consult the Unite
States on a great many questions like
ly to arise"