Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-10-13
LIE Palais Des Nations
The Newly Acquired Home Of the League
or Nations at Geneva.
BY Marie Widmcr

Over in Europe the League OF Nations
has long ago ceased To be merely topic
1t started its official cXlstcrcc with ~
members on January 10, 1920, on the DAY
when the Versailles treaty was ratlhcdi .
additional States joined MS an immaculate
result'of this ratification and Is neutrais
followed China became member wheh
the peace treaty with Austria went lh'o
effect aud number of other nations have
applicd for membership ON whose admit
tance the League will debate durrg ITS
first conference scheduled to take place
in the new Palace of the Nations nj
Geneva on November 10 next. Recent,
events have shown how seriously the
League is taken ON the other side, when
two nations. Llthuania and Poland,
actually called it into fur elton hN submit
ting their difference to this the world
greatest tribunal
When Geneva was chosen rs the seat
OF the League it was hoped that America
too would become one OF ITS pioneer Spoh-
sors and plans were made to house inc
League IN imposing quarters, somewhere
in the suburbs of the cuN. heSc hopcS
were, however, shattered IN the course oi
events, but the valiant defenders ana
standard bearers for the world most
noble institution did not know diSappolu'-
nfcnt or Gctttit. W iilit 'thN h'fap'N' '''f
keen vnur hands of attitude of the great
Republic across the Atlantic they felt
that the League Of Nations represented
the most precious gift to humanity and
AS such they worked indcfatIgably tor It's
fullest realization.
For the sum Of 81, 100000 n League
committee has row acquired what Is term
ed scmi-pcrmaucnt quarters Tor tins
institution stately CdItIcc which IS
we'll known - many Americans under tue
name of Hotel National. \ party ot ~
American journalists who made tour 81
Switzerland during the summer OF l9l"
rs guests of the Swiss government hap
ncned to bc honorcd with u brilliant ban
o,lct m this very building, without having
the slightest mixing that they were dining
in the future Peace Palacc, ON the con
trarv. ~ the forenoon oi that very daN
thcv were actually conducted e. the great
estates RarthohnI PourtalcS and dc
~ausSurc. which had been proposed ,lS
suitable abodcs for the League hy the
city ol Geneva.
The nov Palace of Nations, lC Palals dcs
Nations rs u Is termed, stands ON the right
shore of the lake ~ the eastern end Of
C;cncvas most beautiful promenade, and
Il surrounded hy extensive, artlstlcally
lald out gardens II overlooks the lake
whlch has for many centuries proved M
inspiration ~ poets and artists, and
stands face 10 face with The Savoy Alps
and their crnwnng glory thcMont Blanc.
The htndlng which has An area
about 20 O0O square feet and which IS tGt
Hotel NatIonaI contained 220 rooms. has
! stories above the ground floor At
present Il IS the busy scene Of renovation
ana rcuodclmg \ rcuovatng process WAS
already started nj he bmldmg when Il was
Still the Hotel National. ono " the most
up-to-datc SWISS ho~tclrlcs long before
the League az Nations decided upon tho
purchase of the same.
Thu Hotel National 70 afford glimpse
az it, hl~tpr, was opened on lndepend-
cncc Day luiy i.lN1S and one 81 the many
nromlncut American and English visitors
who were present ~ tho inauguration was
Mr. Henry Nhtchousc of New J ork.
Tho founders az tho establishment were
three wcll-hnown Swiss hotclkccpcrS. Mon
>I,ur \tdinccr az the Hotel NctropnlC.
C;cvcva Monsieur Rucfcnachi Of tho
Hotel Bean RivaEc 0uchH lausanne
and Monsieur ~chott Of tho Hotel lros
Coiirouucs rn Ncvcv. who IN 1872 bad
formed company fer the erection 81
thcrotlqhv frSt-claSS hotel NJ Gcvcva-
Financial and other difficulties confronted
tbc cntcrpri>inc mcu until thcr plans
,natcrialIzc,I but from tho opening dan
on IN 10 the present tho hotel cn!oycd an
altogether cnv'ahlc reputation
Among tho numerous illustrious names
of guests who resided within - walls are
! for instance the following names atth'h
/ Svlva. tho late poctcss-dHccn q h"u-
mama. tho late Empress Elizabeth Of
Austria. King Emmanuel cf Italy. Ed
/ ward NH. then Prince If Wales Glad
stone Rockefeller. Vanderbilt. Gordon
Rannctt Chas NJ Schwab
i The Hotel National was also the scene
/ of several conferences aud hanquets oi
International importance It was ia one
+ IL rs rooms where members oi the Czcko-
SIrz,aE National council decided formally
n tho first davs of November lqlN upon
/ the dcthrouement Of Emperor Charles 4
Austria At the same time. in another
room. was mcetliiE 81 'ti'i'iI' S'>'''7iI-' -