Clinedinst, Copyright, 1918. WOODROW WILSON. Clinedinst, Copyright, 1918. Immediately after the terms of the armistice imposed upon Germany by the allies had been accepted preparations were begun for the peace conference, whose stupendous task it would be to settle the innumerable questions growing out of the war and the revolutions in the central empires and Russia. Among the greatest of the problems to be decided was that of taking steps which would make impossible or at least nearly so the recurrence of such a calamity as the world war. President Wilson, as a leading advocate of a league of nations pledged to world democracy and lasting peace, became at once the central figure upon whom the attention of the world was fixed. His ideas as to the basis upon which the final negotiations should be conducted had been accepted in principle by ail the allies and the question of what part he would take in those negotiations at once became the topic of the day. That he would exercise great influence upon the deliberations of the peace meetings was taken for granted, but few if any suspected that he would himself be a delegate to the No conference. president of the United States had ever left the country while in office for any purpose and it was not supposed that President Wilson would do though he was known as a man who would disregard precedent if in his opinion the occasion demanded it. Therefore, when it began to be rumored that he intended to go France and personally take part in the peace proceedings incredulity was expressed and also considerable opposition to any such course. All doubts were set at rest when on Nov. 18 the following official announcement was made at the white house in Washington: to "The president expects to sail for France immediately after the opening of the regular session of congress, for the purpose of taking part in the discussion and settlement of the main features of the treaty of peace. It is not likely that it will be possible for him to remain throughout the sessions of the formal peace conference, but his presence at the outset is necessary in order to obviate the manifest disadvantages of discussion by cable in determining the greater outlines of the final treaty, about which he must necessarily be consulted. He will, of course, be accompanied by delegates who will sit as the representatives of the United States throughout the conference. The names of the gates will be presently announced." Clinedinst, Copyright, 1918. ROBERT LANSING. dor to France: Edward M. House and Gen. Tasker H. Bliss. "It was explained that it had not been possible to announce these appointments before because the number of representatives each of the chief belligerents was to send had until a day or two ago been under discussion." Sails on George Washington. Preparations for the journey were begun as soon as it had been decided that the president should go to Europe. It was at first proposed to use the Agamemnon, formerly the Kaiser Wilhelm II.. but later it was decided that the George Washington, a 27.000 ton troopship, should carry the presidential party. The vessel was at once made ready at its dock at Hoboken, N. J. The president appeared before a joint session of congress on the afternoon of Dec. 2 and delivered his annual message, in which he gave his reasons for attending the peace, conference in person, (See page 724.) The following day was passed in the performance of various duties in Washington until late at night, when President and Mrs. Wilson and the others in the party boarded a special train which left the capital early on the morning of Dec. 4 and arrived at the pier in Hoboken at 7:20. All who were to make the trip went on board the George Washington and at 10.15 o'clock the ship started on its trip to France. In the Presidential Party. Following is a list of the officials. guests. specialists and employes who were on board: President. Wilson. Mrs. Wilson, Rear-Admiral Cary T. Grayson, U. S. N. Charles S. Swemm, confidential clerk to the president. Irving H. Hoover, head usher of the white house. Miss Edith Benham, secretary to Mrs. Wil son. George Creel, chairman of the committee on public information. .: Mrs. Guests of the President-Jules J. Jusserand, the French ambassador. and Mme. Jusserand: Count V. Macchi di Cellere, the Italian ambassador, and the Countess di Cellere and two children: John W. Davis. United States ambassador to Great Britain. and Mrs. Davis; Mrs. Francisco Quattrone of the Italian ambassa. dele-dor's party Rear Admiral H. K. Knapp. U. S. William U. William S. Benson, wife of Admiral Benson, the chief of operations: Mrs. Gordon Auchincloss, daughter of Col. Edward M. House: Mrs. Joseph C. Grew and Mrs. David Hunter Miller; L. C. Probert, representing The Associated Press; R. J. Bender, representing the United Press; John E. Nevin of the International News service. Members of the American Peace Commission Names of Delegates Announced. Whatever opposition there may have been to the president's leaving the country even for a few weeks ceased to find expression as soon as it was known that he had decided definitely to go. Speculation then centered upon the question as to who would be the official representatives of the United States at the peace meetings. This was settled when on the eve--Secretary of State Robert Lansing. accomning of Nov. 29 the following statement was issued at the white house: "It was announced at the executive office to-night that the representatives of the United States at the peace conference would be the president himself. the secretary of state [Robert Lansing]. Henry White. recently ambassa panied by Mrs. Lansing: Henry White: Leland Harrison, assistant secretary of the commission: Philip H. Patchin, assistant secretary of the commission: Sydney V. Smith, chief of bureau, department of state, attached to the commission: William McNair, chief of bureau. department of state. disbursing officer of the Underwood & Underwood. E. M. HOUSE. Cline inst, Copyright, 1915. HENRY WHITE. commission: George H. Harris, assistant disbursing officer of the commission: William C. Bullitt, attached to the commission; R. O. Sweet, secretary to Secretary Lansing. Bowman. territorial Specialists-Dr. Isaiah specialist: Allyn A. Young. specialist economic resources; Charles H. Haskins, specialist on Alsace-Lorraine and Belgium: Clive Day, specialist on the Balkans: W. E. Lunt, on on L. specialist northern Italy: R. H. Lord. specialist on Russia and Poland: Charles Seymour, specialist on Austria-Hungary: W. Westermann, specialist on Turkey: G. L. Beer. specialist on colonial history: Mark Jefferson. cartographer: Dr. S. E. Mezes, president College of the city of New York, and Mrs. Mezes: Maj. James Brown Scott, J. T. Shotwell; technical adviser, and Mrs. Scott: George A. Finch. assistant to Maj. Scott: Prof. Amos S. Scott: George D. Hershey, assistant to Maj. Gregory, confidential clerk to Maj. Scott. Assistants to Specialists-Capt. S. K. Hornbeck, H. A. Lybyger, P. J. Kerner, P. T. Moon, L. H. Gray, R. B. Dixon, J. Storck, A. K. Lobeck. O. G. Stratton, W. J. Blank, J. B. Stubbs, D. P. Frary, P. W. Slosson. War Department Personnel-Brig.-Gen. William H. Harts: Brig.-Gen. Marlborough Churchill, chief of army intelligence service: Col. Richard H. Jordan, general staff: Col. L. P. Ayers, general staff: Maj. Hunter S. Marston. department; Maj. adjutant-general's C. W. Furlong, U. S. A.: Capt. T. M. Childs. U. S. A. Clerks in American Commission-J. K. Huddlc. R. B. Macatee. C. B. Welch, H. E. Fenstermacher, S. Y. Skinner. L. T. Alverson, H. C. Coney. L. W. Ronimus. L. E. Mundy, H. Goldstein. In Charge of Photographs-Maj. John M. Campbell, general staff: Maj. Frank J. GrifLieutenant Victor fin. signal First corps: Fleming, signal corps: Second Lieutenant L. F. Fleio. U. S. A.; Ruth W. Higgins, special stenographer. to France. Ten other destroyers, the Mahan, Radford, Breese, Craven, Dorsey, Robinson, Walke, Lamberton and Perkins, steamed with the George Washington forty-eight hours and then returned to their stations. The voyage across the Atlantic was uneventful, though some heavy weather was experienced part of the time. The route was by way of the Azores to Brest. France, the port at which 1,000,000 American soldiers landed when on their way to the battle fields of France, and where thousands were already embarking for the trip home. The president kept in touch with both America and Europe all the way across by means of the powerful wireless installation on the George Washington. Arrival in France. On the arrival of the president's ship near Brest it was met by a special naval escort of American and allied warships and escorted to the harbor. On landing the president was welcomed officially by representatives of the French government, after which all the memboarded bers of the party a train which brought them into the Bois de Boulogne station in Paris at 10:15 o'clock Saturday morning. Dec. 14. Following are extracts from The Associated Press account of the welcome given the president of the United States in the French capital: The crowds that assembled in Paris to greet the president were at an early hour large beyond the precedent set on the occasion of previous visits of heads of foreign states. The weather was favorable, for, although the morning was a rather gray one, it early gave promise of decided improvement. The scene at the station where the presiThe dent's train came in was beautifully set. platform was carpeted in red and palms adorned the broad stairway. The band of the guards was republican playing The Star Spangled Banner" as the presidential train. decorated with the stars and stripes, drew into Immediately the artillery gave the station. voice and a salute of 100 guns announced the president's arrival. President Wilson's appearance on the broad carpeted and palm-bordered approach to the station through glittering lines of sabers of the republican guards caused the vast throng to cheer. President Wilson was greeted warmly by President and Mme. Poincare, Premier Clemenceau. Andre Tardieu. French high commissioner to the United States, and other high officials. The French executive firmly grasped the president by the hand as he stepped from the William Martin. who is attached to train. the foreign office as introducer of ambassaOn Board by Authority Secretary of War-dors, presented Premier Clemenceau, who welcomed President Wilson in English, saying he Raymond B. Fosdick. was extremely glad to meet him. M. Martin then introduced the other memA girl in an bers of the French cabinet. Alsatian costume stepped forward, curtsied Mrs. Wilson a great bouquet of and gave orchids. Secret Service Operatives-Joseph E. Murphy, Edmund W. Starling. John D. Slve. W. A. Walter G. Landvoight, John J. Fitzgerald, Ferguson, John L. Sullivan. Enlisted Men of the Army-Sergt. W. E. Copeland, Sergt. L. D. Smith. Sergt. V. Braegger. Sergt. L. J. Morra, Sergt. Robert Williams, Sergt. Clyde Kuhn, Private H. S. MacFall. Private D. Pronalone. on All the craft in the harbor blew their whistles and the escorting war vessels fired the presidential salute as the George Washington, flying the presidential flag. proceeded Two its journey. army airplanes and two navy seaplanes performed air maneuvers Four as the steamer headed for the bay. destroyers acted as an escort until the George Washington arrived off Tompkinsville. Staten island. There the battleship Pennsylvania. under command of Capt. Louis M. Nulton, and flying the flag of Admiral Henry T. Mayo. commander in chief of the Atlantic fleet. headed the escort, and the destroyers Wickes, Commander J. S. Barleon: Woolsey. Commander F. V. McNair; Lea. Commander D. W. Bagley: Tarbell, Commander H. Powell, and Yarnell, Commander W. F. Halsey, followed. to accompany the Pennsylvania all the way After all the members of the receiving party had been presented. President Poincare conducted President Wilson to the top of the station steps, where Mme. Poincare was awaiting them. In the procession from the railway station Parc to the Prince Murat home, in the the following the formalities of Monceau. was occupied by greeting, the first carriage President Wilson and President Poincare and Mme. the second carriage by Mrs. Wilson, Poincare. Mme. Jusserand and Miss Margaret Wilson. Those in other carriages were: Third, 'American Ambassador Sharp. Premier Clemenceau and Gens. Mordaca and Desparge: fourth, Secretary and Foreign Minister Pichon: fifth, Gen, Bliss and Henry White: sixth. Gen. Pershing and Ambassador Jusserand: seventh. Admiral Benson and Capt. Tarand Admiral eighth. Grayson, dieu. Harts and Lieut. Col. Lobez. During the ride from the railway station the president was smiling. taking off his hat Lansing Gen. and bowing to the right and left. Waves of Voices answered his salutation, broken by the sharp bark of guns at intervals of fifteen seconds. President Wilson reached Prince Murat's residence at 10:45 a, m. His arrival was the signal for the hoisting of the American flag President amid loud cheers from the crowd. Poincare and Premier Clemenceau took leave of the presidential party here and the escort ing troops returned to their barracks. claimed by the crowds on the boulevards. Groups of American soldiers seen on the streets were warmly hailed by the people and in general the enthusiasm of the occasion ran high. ac The route to the presidential residence was lined with French troops in solid array. The welcome given by the crowds as the president drove by was vociferous and hearty. The city was making a vast fete of the president's coming. Welcome by President Poincare. President Wilson's Reply. "Mr. President: I am deeply indebted to you for your gracious greeting. It is very delightful to find myself in France and to feel the quick contact of sympathy and unaffected friendship between the representatives of the United States and the representatives of France. "You have been very generous in what you were pleased to say about myself, but I feel that what I have said and what I have tried to do have been said and done only in an attempt to speak the thought of the people of the United States truly and to carry that thought out in action. "From the first the thought of the people of the United States turned toward something more than the mere winning of this war. It turned to the establishment of eternal principles of right and justice. It realized that merely to win the war was not enough; that it must be won in such a way and the questions raised by it settled in such a way as to insure the future peace of the world and lay the foundations for the freedom and hap Later in the day President and Mrs. Wilson attended a luncheon in their honor given by President Poincare. In welcoming the American executive the head of the French repub-piness of its many peoples and nations. lic said: 1 Mr. President: Paris and France awaited you with impatience. They were eager to acclaim in you, the illustrious democrat whose words and deeds were inspired by exalted thought, the philosopher delighting in the solution of universal laws from particular events, the eminent statesman who had found a way to express the highest political and moral truths in formulas which bear the stamp of immortality. "They had also a passionate desire to offer thanks, in your person, to the great republic of which you are the chief for the invalu able assistance which had been given spontaneously during this war to the defenders of right and liberty. "Even before America had resolved to intervene in the struggle she had shown for the wounded and orphans of France a solicitude and a generosity the memory of which will always be enshrined in our hearts. "The liberality of your Red Cross, the countless gifts of your fellow citizens, the inspiring initiative of American women, anticipated your military and naval action and showed the world to which side your sympathies inclined. And, on the day when you flung yourselves into the battle, with what determina; tion your great people and yourself prepared for united success! "Some months ago you cabled to me that the United States would send ever increasing forces until the day should be reached on which the allies' armies were able to submerge the enemy under an overwhelming flow of new divisions and in effect for more than a year a steady stream of youth and energy has been poured out upon the shores of France. "Never before has war worn so terrible a influence of illicit ambitions. visage or exhibited more grossly the debasing I am sure that I shall look upon the ruin wrought by the armies of the central empires with the same repulsion and deep indignation that they stir in the hearts of the men of France and Belgium and I appreciate as you do, sir, the necessity of such action in the final settlement of the issues of the war as not only will rebuke such acts of terror and spoliation, but make men everywhere aware that they cannot be ventured upon without the certainty of just punishment. "I know with what ardor and enthusiasm the soldiers and sailors of the United States have given the best that was in them in this war of redemption. They have expressed the true spirit of America. They believe their ideals to be acceptable to free peoples everywhere and are rejoiced to have played the part they have played in giving reality to those ideals in co-operation with the armies of the allies. "We are proud of the part they have played and we are happy that they should have been associated with such comrades in a common cause. "It is with peculiar feeling, Mr. President. that I find myself in France, joining with you in rejoicing over the victory that has been won. The ties that bind France and the United States are peculiarly close. I do not know in what other comradeship, we could have fought with more zest or enthusiasm. "It will daily be a matter of pleasure with me to be brought into consultation with the statesmen of France and her allies in concerting the measures by which we may secure permanence for these happy relations of friendship and co-operation and secure for the "No sooner had they landed than your gal-world at large such safety and freedom in lant battalions, fired by their chief. Gen. Pershing, flung themselves into the combat with such a manly contempt of danger, such a smiling disregard of death, that our longer experience of this terrible war often moved us to counsel prudence. They brought with them in arriving here the enthusiasm of crusaders leaving for the holy land. "It is their right to-day to look with pride upon the work accomplished and to feel assured that they have powerfully aided by their courage and their faith. "Eager as they were to meet the enemy, they did not know when they arrived the enormity of his crimes. That they might know how the German armies make war it has been necessary that they see towns systematically burned down, mines flooded, factories reduced to ashes. orchards devastated, cathedrals shelled and fired-all that deliberated savagery aimed to destroy, national wealth, nature and beauty, which the imagination could not conceive at a distance from the men and things that have endured it and to-day bear witness to it." its life as can be secured only by the constant association and co-operation of friends. respect, but as the representative of the great "I greet you, not only with deep personal people of France, and beg to bring you the fortunes of France are of profound and lastgreetings of another great people to whom the ing, interest. "I raise my glass to the health of the president of the French republic and to Mme. Poincare and the prosperity of France." Response to Socialist Address. Replying to a delegation of socialists_who called on him and presented an address, President Wilson said: "Gentlemen: I received with great interest the address which you have just read to me. The war through which we have just passed has illustrated in a way which never can. be forgotten the extraordinary wrongs which can be perpetrated by arbitrary and irrespon sible power. "It is not possible to secure the happiness and prosperity of the world, to establish an enduring peace, unless the repetition of such wrongs is made impossible. This has indeed been a people's war. It has been waged against absolutism and militarism, and these enemies of liberty must from this time forth be shut out from the possibility of working their cruel will upon mankind. "In my judgment it is not sufficient to establish this principle. It is necessary that it should be supported by a co-operation of the nations which shall be based upon fixed and definitive covenants and which shall be made certain of effective action through the instrumentality of a league of nations. I believe this to be the conviction of all thoughtful and liberal men. "I am confident that this is the thought of those who lead your own great nation, and I am looking forward with peculiar pleasure to co-operating with them in securing guaranties of a lasting peace of justice and right dealing which shall justify the sacrifices of this war and cause men to look back upon those sacrifices as upon the dramatic final processes of their emancipation." "Citizen of Paris." and On the day before his arrival in Paris the municipal council of that city revived an old custom by passing unanimously a resolution conferring upon President Wilson the title of "citizen of Paris." The resolution said in part: "We wish to express our homage and gratitude to the great president who, for justice and right, placed America by the side of the free peoples against Germanic oppression, and rendered possible the magnificent triumph which we have witnessed." Councilor Gent, who moved the resolution, explained that it was formerly the custom to confer honorary citizenship of the city upon those who had given distinguished service not only to Paris but to the entire country. He pointed out that at the time of the French revolution the title had been conferred on British, Italian and American per"But what the president will particularly appreciate," said M, Gent, "is that one of those to whom Paris paid the same tribute that it is to-day paying him was the great George Washington. sonages. The thought that moved me to make this proposal arose from a desire to pay a tribute of gratitude and admiration to the great statesman who has framed in imperishable language the conditions of the future peace and of the life of nations." Preliminary Steps. Even before President Wilson left America a number of things relating to the coming peace conference had been decided by the allies. The first was that the meetings should be held in Versailles and Paris. Various other places had been suggested, such as The Hague, but it was felt that as the war had been car ried on chiefly from the French capital and Versailles, where the supreme war council held its sessions, the final acts in the drama should also take place there. The number of delegates to be chosen and various other matters were determined. These were mostly of a routine character and did not relate to vital issues. Conference in London. The most important preliminary conference was that held in London on Dec. 2 and 3. It was attended by representatives of the British government, Premier Clemenceau and Marshal Foch, representing France, and Premier Orlando and Foreign Minister Baron Sonnino. representing Italy. Col. E. M. House, who was to have represented the United States, was detained in Paris by illness. The conferences were held in the foreign ministry's offices in Downing street and were behind closed doors. Most of the business was transacted on Dec. 3. when there were four meetings. At 10:30 o'clock there was a meeting of the imperial war cabinet, at which Premier Hughes of Australia, Gen. Smuts and other representatives of the dominions were present. At 11:15 this cabinet meeting became merged in a general conference, at which all the foreign delegations were present. At 4 o'clock the premier had a conference with the French and Italian delegations and at 5:30 there was again a full conference, at which the foreign representatives were present, with the members of the cabinet, including the dominion representatives, and also Arthur J. Balfour, Winston Churchill, Walter Long and Lord Milner. The object of the conference was to discuss matters of common interest, and also to exchange ideas with regard to the territorial aspirations of France and Italy. In the former category were: 1. Extension of the armistice. 2. The date of the opening of the peace congress, and the number of delegates to be sent to it by the principal powers. 3. Amount and nature of the indemnities to be demanded from Germany and what was once Austria-Hungary. 4. Replacement by Germany of shipping destroyed during the war. merchant 5. The future of the German colonies. 6. The position of the Poles, newly emancipated Bohemia, the southern Slavs and other liberated nationalities. 7. Demand on Holland for the extradition of the ex-kaiser. Allies in Agreement. No official report of the conference was issued beyond a recital of the names of those attending it and a statement that Col. E. M. House of the American peace delegation was prevented by illness from attending. It was made clear, however, that the delegates were all in agreement with the policy of Premier Lloyd George as to compelling Germany to ray to the limit of her capacity. The allied representatives were also agreed on the proposition of bringing to trial those responsible for outrages on humanity during the war. In a speech made after the conference Andrew Boar Law chancellor of the exchequer, confirmed the statement that the British government had decided to impress upon the allies as strongly as possible that the surrender of Former Emperor William should be demanded and that he should stand his trial. The chancellor also announced that the govcrument had appointed a committee to examine scientifically into the question of how much the enemy would be able to pay. The government would propose such procedure to the allies, and he believed it would be adopted. An interallied committee would then inquire into the whole question and decide what amount was obtainable. Steps would be taken to secure its payment. On his return to Paris from London Premier Clemenceau said that there was complete agreement between the allies on all questions, particularly that concerning the former German emperor. He expressed deep satisfaction over the important results obtained at the conference. Huge Indemnities Claimed. In November and December, 1918, in considering the claims to be laid before the peace conference for damages inflicted by Germany in the world war, some huge sums were named. On Nov. 16 the Paris Matin estimated the damage to France at $68,000,000.000. The paper apportioned the debt as follows: Return of the indemnity of 1871 with interest. $12.000.000.000; expenses in the world war, $28,000,000,000: pensions. $8.000.000.000, and reparation for damages. $20.000.000.000. The Matin said that France must secure acknowledgment of the debt before examining the way in which it was to be paid. France wanted no indemnity profit, but all Frenchmen wanted lawful reparation. Germany and Austria, it added, should return to the allies a minimum of 7,000,000 tons of shipping in payment for that de stroyed in the war, but as they had at their disposal only 3,000,000 tons. the deñvery of j be held in Paris at the time of the peace the entire German-Austrian merchant marine congress: would constitute only half reparation. British Estimate. According to the London Daily Mail, Great Britain would demand £8,000,000.000 ($40,000,000,000) for Great Britain and her dominions as reparation for the war. This, the Daily Mail added, is what the war cost Great Britain and her dominions and British taxpayers would be relieved of £400.000.000 ($2,000,000,000) a year by the German pay ment. The British claim, said the Daily Mail, had been prepared by a committee under Sir Sam Hughes, the Australian premier, and Baron Cunliffe, formerly governor of the Bank of England, who was one of the principal members of the committee. At a meeting held in Bristol, England. Dec. 11 Premier David Lloyd George said that the war bill of the allies was $120,000,000,000. The cost of the war to Great Britain, he said, was $40,000.000.000. Before the war the estimated wealth of Germany, the premier said, was between $75,000.000.000 and $100,000.000,000. So, if the whole wealth of Germany were taken there would not be enough to pay the account. Therefore he had used the words: "Germany should pay to the utmost limit of her capacity." Belgian Estimate. The central industrial committee of Belgium, after an estimated Belgium's investigation. damage through German military occupation and seizures of machinery and raw material at 6.000.560.000 francs (about $1,200,112,000). Britain Insists on Naval Supremacy. In a speech delivered in Dundee, Scotland. Dec. 4. 1918, Winston Spencer Churchill, the British minister of munitions, said: "We enter the peace conference with the absolute determination that no limitation shall be imposed on our right to maintain Our naval defense. We do not intend, no matter what arguments and appeals are addressed to us. to lend ourselves in any way to any fet tering restrictions which will prevent the British navy maintaining, its well tried and well deserved supremacy." Premier Lloyd George at an overflow meeting in Bristol Dec. 4 said that Britain would be guilty of a great folly if she gave up her navy. "Wherever the request comes from," he said, "we are not going to give up the protection of the navy, so far as Great Britain is concerned. Our navy is a defensive weapon and not an offensive one, and that is why we do not mean to give it up. We have kept these islands free from invasion for centuries. and we mean to take no risk in the future." Delegates to Peace Conference. No complete list of the official representatives of the various belligerent and neutral nations and of newly created nations was available at the time this record was closed. Those representing the United States have already been named-President Wilson, Secretary of State Robert Lansing, Henry White, Col. E. M. House and Gen. Tasker H. Bliss. Great Britain, France and Italy, it was announced. would be represented by their prime and foreign ministers, assisted by other diplomats and by military leaders. The Marquis Kinmochi Saionji, former premier; Baron Nobuaki Makino, member of the privy council and former foreign minister: Viscount Sutami Chinda, ambassador to England, and Baron Keishiro Matsui, ambassador to France, were selected as Japan's plenipotentiaries to the peace congress. Lu Cheng-hsiang was selected to head China's delegation to the peace conference. He was accompanied by a party of fifteen, including a Belgian, M. Decoot, who was to act in an advisory capacity. Labor Conference. The following were chosen in November, 1918. to represent the American Federation of Labor at an international labor conference to Samuel Gompers, president of the federatio William Green, secretary-treasurer of thi United Mine Workers. John R. Alpine, president of the plumbers. James Duncan, president of the International Association of Granite Cutters. Frank Duffy, secretary of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners. Frank Morrison, secretary of the federation. said the purpose of the international conference is to consider and help in peace discussion and to establish a new international trade union federation." The executive council of the federation, he said. would issue invitations to the trade organizations of all nations to participate and he said representatives from all the principal nations were expected to attend. Although Mr. Morrison declined to discuss the matter, it was understood that the confer ence proposed to make its information and views available to the peace delegates, who might, if they saw fit, consult unofficially with the conference or with the individual delegations composing it. on matters in which labor is vitally concerned. Out of the Paris conference labor leaders expect will come the establishment of an international federation of labor with subsidiaries in every mercantile and manufacturing country in the world, which will unite workers of the globe in the same manner as the American and Canadian workmen united in the American federation. are Plan for League of Nations. The official journal of the Danish government published the following statement Dec. 4, 1918: The committees appointed by the cabinets of Sweden. Denmark and Norway to formulate a plan for a league of nations have held a series of meetings in Copenhagen and agreed on a detailed proposal for such a possible organization. This proposal embraces especially the general obligation to subject disputes between states to arbitration, the establishment of an international council, a permanent international court of justice, international institutions of investigation and arbitration and the permanent organization of peace conferences or conferences on international law at The Hague." Lays Wreath on Lafayette's Tomb. On Sunday, Dec. 15, President Wilson drove to the Picpus cemetery and laid a wreath on the tomb of Lafayette. To it he attached his personal card bearing this inscription: "In memory of the great Lafayette, from a fellow servant of liberty." Entirely unannounced, the president arrived at the cemetery, where the amazed aged gatekeeper was almost too flustered to unlock the gates when he learned who his caller was. The news of the president's visit spread rapidly to the convent near by and as he left he passed through lines of aged nuns, who came out to pay their respects to the American chief executive. Reception at City Hall. On Monday, afternoon. Dec. 16, President Poincare went to the Murat residence and conducted President and Mrs. Wilson to the city hall, where a luncheon was served and addresses were made. In addressing President Wilson. Adrien Mithouard, president of the municipal council of Paris, said: "Mr. President: I have the honor, in the presence of the president of the republic, to present to you the municipal council of Paris whose interpreter I am in welcoming the chief of the great nation whose aid, arriving so opportunely, brought us victory, and the upright man whose conscience fashioned his policy and whose diplomacy was made of loyalty." Turning to Mrs. Wilson, M. Mithouard said: "Madame. Paris is infinitely happy and i touched that you, who have accompanied the president, have been good enough to add to this occasion the charm and the grace of your |