Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1920-01-28
LEAGUE 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 tie 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 l0:30
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
TO trace upon the spot the frontiers
of the territory Of the Sarre basin.
The council received its first formal
protest to be presented TO Ii almost
before II came into being with todays
initial session. The protest was from
''the ENJOYS of the elected government
of the Irish republic" against 1.-THE I'M
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 inauguratlng this great inter-
national institution should have fallen
10 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 viii be overcome and that rep
resentative of the great American re-
public will occupy the place awaiting
him among us. The work Of the coun-
ell will then assume definite charac-
ter and will have that particular force
which should be associated with our
work.
January 10, 1920, will go down in
history as the date of the birth of new
world. Decisions to be reached will
be In the name of all nations adher-
Ii will be the first decree of all free
nations leaguIng themselves together,
for the first time in the world 10 sub
stitute right for might. But the or
ganizatiou 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
tons representative on the council of
the league, said:
ION 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. Ii is our intention, by
every means In our power, to insure
its practical efficiency. 1t Is our firm
belief that through its instrumentaiity
alone we can hope to insure that such
miseries as the world has expert
enced during the last five years shall
not be repeated and that a new era of
international relationship shall dawn.
1.-THE League of Nations Is an ex-
preston 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 sue
cess of the labOrs of the peace con-
ference Is good augury for the flu
ture of the League of Nations. For the
first time an attempt was made to
bring together under the auspices of
the league representatives of govern
ments, employers and labor, and an
advance exceeding the results of the
entire work of the previous quarter of
a century has been made in the field
of international action on industrial
questions"
All the members of the council
called for by the covenant of the
league. with the exception of the rep
resentatlves of the United States, were
present when NJ Bourgeois called the
meeting TO order.
After the appointment of the com
missioners. NJ. Bourgeois proposed
London as the place for the next meet
ing of the council, and this was APP
proved. Lord Curzon suggested leav-
ing the date and the order of business
open, to be decided by the chairman
and the secretary, since. he said, ut
will be necessary to consult the United
States on great many questions like
ly to arise"