New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1920-11-19
LEAGUE HOLDS
FIRST MEETING
DELEGATES EXPRESS THE HOPE
THAT UNITED STATES WILL
ENTER LEAGUE.
BELGIAN IS PRESIDENT
PAUL HYMANS ELECTED PERMA-
NENT PRESIDENT OF LEAGUE
OF NATIONS.

Western Newspaper Union NeWs-eIyIc-
Geneva, Nov. IL Paul Iiymans 81
Belgium was elected permanent prcSi
dent of the League of Nations at ia,
opening session of The assembly
lie received ihirty-five VOTES Il
four votes for President Mottl
of switzerland and one each f"l
cN-Presidonr Ador of Switzerland an
Leon Bourgeois of France.
NJ. IIymmns had called the drlrgate-
10 order and introduced President
Motta of Switzerland, who in his All
dress welcoming the delegates. -
pressed the hope that the United
States would not delay much longer IN
taking lis legitimate place in Ire
league
When NJ HymauS, who heads the
Belgian delegation AMI j. "a former
foreign minister Of Belgium, declared
the first session Of The assembly open.
the hail was cruWlrd with men aud
women and there were several women
among lh" delegates. Their roil"ltc>,
with the quaint red and yellow gowns
of the Swiss guards, gave Touches al
color to an otherwise sober Gene.
NJ. Motta, in his greetings Ia rh, del
rSatoN, thanked the pcac" conference
for having selected Geneva rs the scat
of the League of Nations and a'So
thanked President Wilson for calling
the meeting of the assembly in The
seat Of the league,
The first session of IN" lea ne AS
Scmbly was greeted with the ringing
of all the bells in Geneva after several
minutes silence on ID" part OF All the
people Of the canton. President MoIta
of Switzerland was followed 10y NJ.
Hymans.
The Socialist header, IIjalmar fran
ting, head Of the Swedish delegation.
provoked the first debate bv nbje ting
10 the election Of Paul llymans as
president Of the league lay acclama-
ton. VI. Ilymans himself decided the
question, 10y holding that. since one
member requested "A secret vote, he
was entitled to ii.
4 more animated and more ~ignifi-
cant discussion grew out of the adnp-
lion of the agcnda. Lord Robert cecil.
who represents South Africa, held
that the applications for membership
of Albania, Bulgaria and Austria,
which were received since the agrnda
was made up, should he added to il.
The assembly So decided after the
French delegates, Niyiani and l:our.
geoisc, had made II clear that the APP
plicationS would be referred Ia a com
.mittee to be examined and n decision
taken "a 10 whether they would be
received.
This reservation, il il commended,
will establish n precedent 50 that if
Gcrmauy's application is received
later, the French delegates will be-
able to raise III" question of cligibil-
ity at once.
Working organization of III" assrm-
bly, has been formed, and consists of
six committees each with forty-one
members representing all IN" states NJ
tending. All questions on III" agrnda
will De divided among theS" commit
tees and Will come" ~, for debate on
the floor only when the reports are
submitted. The presidents nf these
committees will j." rN-officio vice pres
idents or the assembly.
The debates clearly indicated that
Lord Robert Cecil, Leon bourgeois,
Rene NiNiani AMI Signor Tttoni are
the leading figures on the floor aud
that the small states are showing a
spirit Of independents" and will not ac-
ccpt %prcarrango'i programs without
their say.
President Hyman> announced thai
the demands of Peru for q revision of
the treaty Of 1883 hrtwrcu chile and
Peru, and of BOLIVIA for = revision of
rlc treaty of 1901 between Bolivia and
hil" have been reserved because the
Interested parties desire 'n negotiate
among themselves.