CONSTITUTION OF LEAGUE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17648, 8 December 1920, Page 7

CONSTITUTION OF LEAGUE.

DEBATE IN ASSEMBLY. ARGENTINA'S AMENDMENTS. REJECTION CONFIRMED. . By Telegraph—Press Association— A. and N.Z. LONDON, Dec. 6. When the Assembly of the League of Nations met to-day the President, M. Hymans (Belgium) submitted Dr. Puyerredon's letter expressing the intention of the Argentine delegation to withdraw from the Assembly unless the amendments to the covenant submitted by Argentina were agreed to. In submitting the letter M. Hymans expressed regret at Argentina's action. Lord Robert Cecil, regretting the attitude of the Argentine delegation, said if other delegations followed that example no progress could be made The Assembly displayed no further interest in the incident. M. Branting (Sweden) moved that the Argentine amendments be referred to a committee dealing with the amendment of the covenant. The Canadian delegation wished to have Article 10 eliminated from the covenant. Canada fought against its inclusion in Paris, but in view of the Assembly's decision the delegation announced that Canada would leave the proposal to the Amendments Committee. The Assembly debated the report of the commission on the relations between the Council and the Assembly. Lord Robert Cecil viewed with apprehension the clause defining what decisions could be given by the Council, which apparently deprived the Assembly of the right to review its decisions. He contended that every matter should be subject to the Assembly's review. M. Viviani (France) pointed out that the covenant sharply defined the powers of the Council and the Assembly, though the latter had the right of review when the report of the Council's work was presented.

Mr. N. W. Rowell (Canada) believed that the Assembly in its general juris-, diction had superior powers to the Council. He therefore disagreed with Lord Robert Cecil's apprehensions. Eventually the report was adopted unaltered.

COMMENT IN ARGENTINA.

WITHDRAWAL NOT INVOLVED. Reuter. BUENOS AIRES. Deo. 6. Argentina appears confused and irritated by the events at Geneva. The Standard, in editorial comment, says: — " The Argentine delegation went to Geneva to make history, but made a mess of things. The tendency in Argentina is for functionaries to resign and explain later. We suppose Dr. Puyerredon's explanations are en route."

The newspaper La Razon says that the delegates exercised their rights in retiring from the Assembly, but their course had nothing to do with Argentina continuing to be a member of the League.