Republican farmer., 1920-01-23

lives 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 ten o'clock this morn ing for the first meeting in his tory of the League.
 All the members of the council call ed for by the covenant of the league, with the exception of the representa- tive of the United States, were pre- sent when M. Bourgeoise called the meeting to order. Besides, M. Bour- geois the members were Earl Curzon, the British Foreign Secretary for Great Britain; Premier Venizelos, for Greece; Carlo Ferraris, Italian Min ister of Industry, Commerce, Labor and Food, for Italy; Paul Hymans the Belgian Foreign Minister flor Belgium; Baron Matsui, Ambassador | to France, for Japan; Dr. Gastoa Da Cunha, Ambassador to France, for | Brazil; Count Quinones DeLeon, Am- DaSSdOOr lO fTanCe, 1Or Spd1u. Premier Lloyd George of Grea: Britain and Viscount Grey of Fallo- ] don, British ambassador to the Unit | ed States, dropped into the meeting ] at an early stage. MT. Lloyd George soon retired, however. Viscount Grey ! remained and was invited to front | seat. These were the only visitors | of note.
 | Premier Venizelos, without rising, 1 opened the proceedings by nominat i ing M. Bourgeois for chairman. Lord Curzon seconded the nomination, and l M. Bourgeois was unanimously elect 1 ed. The choice of Sir Eric Drum mond of Great Britain as general sec- 1 retary was confirmed.
 In his speech of acceptance NJ l Bourgeois predicted that January Is, 1 1920, would Ego down in history as 1 the date of the birth of a new world. He said in part:
 'fThe 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 e4- press the hope that their difficulties will soon be overcome and that a rep Iresentative of the great American re- public will occupy the place awaitin g him among us. The work of the coun- | ci1 will then assume definite character and will have that particular force which should be associated with our work.
 January Is, 1920, will go down in history as the date of the birth of a new world Decisions to be reached ttoday will be in the name of all na- tions adhering to the covenant of the league. It will be the first meeting of all the nations leaguing themselves together for the purpose of SubStitut- ing right for might But the organ ization of the League of Nations will not be compleSe until the assembly of all the states meet.'
 | Speaking for Great Britain Lord
 Curzon followed M. Bourgeois. He 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 covenant of the
 League of Nations. It is our inten-
 ton by every means in our power, to
 insure it's practical efficiency. It is
 our firm belief that through it's instru-
 m entalfty alone we can hope to insure
 that such miseries that the world has
 experienced during the past five years
 shall not be repeated, and that a new
 era of international relationship shall
 dawn.
 'The League of Nations is an ex- pression of the universal desire for 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 conference is @ good augury for the
 future of the League of Nations For the first time an attempt was made to bring together under the auspices of the league repres ><,tatives of gov ernm ents, employees and laiborers and an advance exceeding the result of the entire work of the previous quar- ter of a century has been made in the field of international action on indus
 trial questions" Signor Ferraris on behalf of Italy,
 said his nation was glad to respond
 to the invitation ttof the President
 and the great American people," He
 mentioned the skeptism amidst which
 the league was born and said this was
 a fact to be neither exaggerated nor
 ignored.
 Ambassador Da Cunha, for Brazil. said his country would devote herself | with fervor to the work of peace and |, fraternity among the nations, He re-
 ferred to the fact that he was, the
 only representative from America present and said he was proud t6 have the honor of bringing assur-
 ances of the cooperation of Pan-
 America in the operation of the league.
 After the delivery of the speeches M. Bourgeois announced that the only item on the order of the day was
 the appointment of three members of
 the commission to fix the boundaries i of the Sarre Valley, together with l one member appointed by the French l government and one by Germany. The council named as its members Col. Wace, an English officer, Major Lambert, a Belgian, and Major Ko- baish a. Japanese.
 | After the appointment of the com ] nissioners M. \ Bourgeois proposed
 London as the place for the next
 meeting of the council, and this was
 approved. Lord Curzon suggested
 leaving the date and the order of
 business open, to be decided by the