MANDATES

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17157, 28 May 1921, Page 11

MANDATES

, * the position made clear.. STATEMENT BY SIR ERIC ' DRTTMJVIONb. . \ (FROM OTJJt OWN CORRESPONDENT.) LONDON, April 7. lii an interview on subject oi mandates Sir Eric Drummond,Secre-tary-General oi' the League of Nations, explained that the Council of the League was in no way responsible for selecting the- mandatory. The right to appoint the mandatories and to determine tireterritories over which they shall exercise authority belongs to tile principal Allied and Associated Powers, to whom the sovereignty over the territories in question was transferred by the Treaty of Versailles. I Replying to "the-question, "What are i the functions of the League Council in : regard to mandates?" Sir Eric said:— I "The' Council takes cognisance of tho I mandatory Powers ,ayp<}inted by thb l Allies and of the territories over which | it Ms been, determined that they shall exercise authority.. It examines the i draft mandates communicated to it in I order to ascertain that they conform to j the prescription of Article 22' of tile ©ovenant. But except to establish such : conformity the Council has no. authority to make alterations in tho draft mandates." I "It.is certainly not contemplated that I the Council should dictate to the manI datory Power what sums of money it I shquld expend on th<S mandated terriI tory. Tlie Powers that ratified the ' Treaty undertook if they were offered and accepted a mandate—mind you, tho J oifer could always be refused—to fulfil the conditions of Article 22 of the Cove- ! 11 ant. It is fdr each mandatory Power to decide for itself the amount of expenditure it considers proper to be spent in the mandated territory, whether for ! development, protection, or other pur--1 poses. The League makes no demand pn the mandatory) beyond the fulfilment of the terms of Article 22." - I When askad whether there was any j-eason why m.mdates should m.t be submitted to the National Parliament of the mandatory before acceptance, the reply was givon: 1 'That does concern, the League at all. It is a constitutional question which can alono be determined by each individual mandatory Power. Explaining Article 22, which Jays down the duties of the Council, Sir Eric gave as the Council's interpretation: "The degree of authority, control, or administration to be exercised by the mandatory (shall, if # not previously agresd. upon by the signatories of tin l Treaty of Versailles who are members of the League of Nations, be explicitly defined by the Council." . "This paragraph,"' 1 he added, "gave the Council, in theory, the incontestable right (in the absence of any convention between those members) to regulate the position of the mandatory. The Council, however, decided to ask tho Principal Powers to communicate to it tho t<=-rms and conditions of the mandates thi.t they proposed should be adopted by the Council. ■_ Draft .nan--1 dates wero. accordingly laid beiore the Council, which ha 3 already considered and defined those relating to (SouthWest Africa and certain of tho South

Pacific Islands. Tho examination by the Council was ('.mimed to ascertaining that th<> drafts noro in conlontlilv with Article and in making Mich alterations as were necessary to bring that about."' Asked "Will tho Permanent Mandates Commission, when cM-üblished, have the power to alter tho Mandate.-* in such a way as to necessitate further expenditure-by tho Mandatory*. Power?" Sir Eric answered: "Emphatically not. The Permanent Commission after examining the annual reports of tho Mandatories will communicate any observations it may have to make .on any particular report to the duly authorised representative of the Mandatory Power from whom the repoii comes. These observations together with any comment which the representative of the Mandatory desires to offer will be forwarded to the Council, Hut neither tho Council nor the Permanent Commission can impose on the Mandatory Power any alteration in tho terms of tho Mandate once these have been determined." What has now been .#id throws useful and helpful light on tho respective positions of" the Council of tho League and of the Mandatory Powers. I here has hitherto been considerable doubt 4s to the power of Parliament to discus- ' the terms of a mandate.