The Connecticut labor news., 1924-02-09

by international IaDOr News SeTV1ce. Washington, D. C., Feb. o.-Full ac- counts have just reached Washington of the ceremonies attending the laying of the foundation stone of the permanent building of the International Labor Off, wee at Geneva, Switzerland
 The Swiss Confederation made the League of Nations a gift of the land necessary for the erection fthe prem ises. The gift was accepted by the Third Assembly of the League III 1o- its for the beginning of building opera lions.
 The ceremony of laying the founda- tion stone was attended by distinguish ed body, including Mir Chuard, Vice President of the Swiss Federal Council, and other representatives of the Swiss Confederation and of the Canton and City of Gneva, the social attaches ac- credited to the International Labor Of wee, the members of the Governing Body of the International Labor Oftlce, and delegates and legal advisers to the Fifth Session of the International Labor Con ference then i'll session in Geneva.
 Invitations were sent to the members of the International Labor Legislation Commission of the Preliminary Peace Conference which drafted Part XIII, and two of these members, Sir Malcolm Delvigne, of Great Britain, and Profes- sor Ernest Mahai moi Belgium, were present. Many members of the commits sion were unable to attend.
 Samuel Gompers, President of the American Fderation of Labor, who was chairman of the International Labor Legislation Commission, in letter to Albert Thomas, Director of the Inter national Labor Office, regretted that owing to the meeting of the annual con- vention of the American Federation of Labor it would not be possible for him to attend the ceremony, and continued ::
 "Of course. l cannt tell you in words the deep interest I feel in the work and the future possibilities of the Interna- tional Labor Office. The erection of a building for service. i'll furtherance of the purpose outlined in the Preamble Charter is pregnant with momentoos inn portance You were right Whe nyo say that as President of the Intrnational Commission which formulated the La bor Charter in Paris, and created the International Labor Office, 1t would be appropriate for ne to be with you at the laying of the cornerstone for the build ing and it, therefofe, causes me addition al regret that l cannot be with you on thldI duSHiClOuS OCCASION.
 Permit me to 'express the earnest hope for the perpetuation and success of the International Labor Organization Rest assured that anything that I can contribute to attain that end will be gladly and promptly performed"
 In concluding the speech of welcome to those present at the ceremony, Albert Thomas, Director of the International Labor Office, said:
 "The Third Assembly, when the con- struction of the new building was decid- ed upon, expressed the hope that every Member of the League would contri- bute to the structure of this building materials. of ornaments or works of ar.. representing the most characteristic forms of national production. That ap- peal has already met with eager respon- SC; and TaDan. Iatvia, Italy. Dnemark, the Netherlands. have already sent us, or have decided to send, works represen- fatIye of their national art
 But the strength of the International Labor Organization is founded not only on stone, wood, and steel; it is founded above all in the hearts of men.
 "We are proud to think that it was not during the first period of enthusias- tic confidence in which the newborn or ganization inspired that the nations de cided to erect this building, but after four years of experiment. toll and strug- gle, in the course of which tn vitality of the ideal of its creators has been ann ply demonstrated.
 Tn spite of the apprehensions and fears that the bitter connective strug- gle arouses in all nations-nay, ever