New java launcher with 1.14 cannot launch previous versions of minecraft!

I frequently use earlier versions of Minecraft to play older worlds.  Since the release of the 1.14 version / Java edition, when attempting to launch with any other version of Java, I get a crash error.  It claims it cannot find the saves directory, even when I let it create one.  When playing with 1.14, everything works fine. I have tried so many ways of fixing this - copying directories, making new saves directories, deleting old options files and Application Support folders, and still I can find no way to play older minecraft versions now that 1.14 is out.  I consider this a first tier bug, as 1.14 has so many apparent bugs it's not really playable on my system.  Please look into this.  Thank you.