FOR WORLD'S PEACE

Evening Post, Volume XCVII, Issue 36, 13 February 1919, Page 7

FOR WORLD'S PEACE

THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS

CONSTITUTION AND AIMS

MORAL SUASION ITS CHIEF

WEAPON.

(UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.—COPXRIOHT.)

(AUSTRALIAN-NEW ZBALAND CABLE ASSOCIATION.) PARIS, 10th February.

The League of Nations draft contains the preamble and a short series of articles, each of which is concise and precise, and remarkably free from diplomatic and legal verbiage. The preamble states that the League is founded for and aims at the promotion of international co-operation in order to secure international peace and security and the acceptance of obligations, not by resort to arms, but by the firm establishment of understanding of international law as the actual rule of conduct amongst Governments, and by the maintenance of justice and scrupulous respect for all treaty obligations in the deahngs of organised peoples with one another. The conditions governing the actions of the high contracting parties under the covenant are then set out. They provide that the purposes of the high contracting parties are to be effected through the instrumentality of meetings of delegates, known as the Body of. Delegates, and also by the meeting at more frequent intervals of the Executive Council, which consists of representatives of the United States, the British Empire, France, Italy, and Japan, with two representatives of the other States which are members of the League. These latter, being appointed by the Body of Delegates, will work on such principles and methods as the Body of Delegatees shall direct. Thus the latter is made the controlling authority to this general extent. There has been discussion as to whether the Five Power* should have four or five members, and the point has not yet been determined. Meetings of the Executive will be held from time to time as occasion requires, but at least once a year, either at the seat of the League or at another place. At these meetings any matter within the sphere of the League's actions or affecting the peace of the world may be dealt with. It has beßn agreed that the first meeting of the Body of Delegates and the Executive shall be summoned by the President of the United States, but it should be clearly understood that the proposal has not emanated from the United States.

The commission has abandoned the term Secretary-General for the head of the permanent Secretariat for that of Chancellor of the League. This official will direct the Secretariat, which will be established at the seat of the League. The expenses- of the Secretariat will be shared by the States which are members, on the basis of the distribution used for the expenses of the International Bureau of the Universal Postal Union.

The representatives of the high contracting parties and all the League's officials will enjoy diplomatic privileges and immunities. The League's buildings: are to be regarded as extra-territorial (not belonging to the nation within whose borders they He). There is likely to be a good deal of discussion respecting the provisions for the admission of nations which are not signatories of the covenant, including Germany. It is proposed that admission shall requirethe assent of not less than two-thirds of the Body of Delegates, but no State will be admitted, unless it agrees that its naval and military forces shall conform to the standard prescribed for it from time to time by tho League. A further provision states that by a similar majority the League may impose upon any State seeking admission such conditions as it thinks fit. Only selfgoverning _ States shall be admitted to membership. Colonies ' enjoying full powers of self-government may be admitted. There is a prospect of India being admitted. The draft proceeds to recognise the principle that the maintenance of peace requires the reduction of national armaments to the lowest point consistent with national safety, and the enforcement by common action of international obligations. The executive is to formulate plans for effecting such a reduction, and is also to determine what military equipment and/armament are fair and reasonable in proportion to the scale of the forces laid down in, the process of disarmament. These limits, when adopted, shall not be exceeded without the permission of the Body of Delegates. An important' proviso is that the high contracting parties shall agree that munitions and implements of war shall .not be manufactured by private enterprise, and the executive is to devise full and frank publicity as to national armament and military and naval programmes.

The basis of arbitration is outlined. It provides that if diplomacy or the Executive's efforts fail arrange a dispute it must be referred to arbitration after three months' delay; It is proposed that this arbitration shall be generally undertaken by a permanent international com* of justice, which shall be established. The main weapon of the League will be, therefore, moral suasion, but economic, military, and naval methods will not be disregarded.