THE FIRST LEAGUE SESSION

Today, that historic Swiss town of Geneva, situated in the foothills of the Alps, is to witness the opening of that assembly on which the world is pinning its hopes for international peace. The magnificent Hotel National which has been bought by the League and which is now called the Palais de Nations is to be its headquarters. Across the lake, lies the Salle de Reformation, presented by the Swiss government, and it is here that the meetings will be held. The flags of forty-one nations are now flying from this quaint capital, crowded with five thousand representatives from all parts of the world.

Today the great test begins. After the routine work has been completed, the Dantzig and the Polish-Lithuanian affairs will be discussed. Arrangements for the coming financial conference will be made. But what is paramount is the fact that numerous recommendations for amendments of the covenant will be considered. Most of these have been made by the smaller nations who desire to limit the power of the council and to give more to the assembly. Insomuch as the large nations control the council, they wish to concentrate the power of the League here. Thus a dispute looms up between the assembly and the council, which practically means a fight between the large and the small nations. This, then, is the first great trial. Can the League, with all its variety of interests, work together in harmony for the interests of the world as a whole? The temper of this first assembly will go far to show how much the League can be depended upon; like a barometer it will predict the character of the future of the League.