THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 71, Issue 291, 8 December 1928, Page 13 (Supplement)

THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS

ITS ORGANISATION IN BRIEF (No. 5.) To describe the organisation of the League of Nations and its activities would require many pages. But a few fundamental facts regarding it might be acceptable to those who have not the time to read through the huge mass of literature which is issued by the League in recounting its work. The League “is an association of self-governing States, organised on permanent lines in an effort to broaden the basis of peace and to lessen tae chanceg of war.” Its constitution is contained in a Covenant which forms part of the Treaties of Versailles, St. Germain, Neuilly, and Trianon. The general principles, by which members of th'Q League agree to its terms as a means of promoting international co-operation, and achieving peace and security are:— By the acceptance of obligations not to resort to war. By the firm establishment of the understandings of relations between nations. By the firm establishment of the understandings of international law as the actual rule of conduct among governments, -nd By the maintenance of justice and scrupulous respect for all Treaty obligations in the dealings of organised peoples with one another. The League doe s not impose settlements; its chief weapons are the publicity of facts and such force of persuasion as is inherent in all work of mediation. The League’s penalties may be applied only to a breach of faith by resort to war. The Penalties These penalties are set out in Article 16 of the Covenant, and briefly are that all other members of the League will immediately s mit such State to the severance of all trade or financial relations, prohibit all intercourse between their nationals, and prevent all similar intercourse between the Coven-ant-breaking State, and the nationals of any other State, whether a member of the League or not. The Council also will recommend to the several governments concerned what effective military, naval or air .orce the members of the League shall severally contribute to the armed forces to be used to protect the Covenant i the League. Passages are also to be afforded through territories to the forces of any members of the League which are co-eper-ating to protect the Covenant of the League. There can be no League intiative except on the proposal of one or more governments, and no League work can . be accomplished except through gov--1 ernments. Constituent Parts The main constitutional organs of the League are: The Assembly, the Council, and the Permanent Secretariat. There are Jso two Essential wings. The Permanent Court of International Justice . nd the International Labour Office. The Council, of course, consists of the five great Powers —the British Empire, France, Italy, Japan and Germany—who are permanent members, and of nine other smaller Powers, who are LOn-permanent members, being elected for three years by the Assembly. Each year, three of these smaller Powers are elected, and the retiring countries are not eligible for election for three years, unless the Assembly decides by a two-thirds majority vote that they shall be. This year*the Assembly cast its vote in favour of Spain’s re-eligibility but against China’s, and the latter’s defeat j robably ensured the election of Persia as an Asiatic representative Power, but one which had not yet sat upon the Council. The relationship between the Council and the Assembly is not explicitly defined. Each body may deal with any matter within the sphere of action of the League or affecting the peace of the world. At the same time they are not separate or independent bodies. In practice the Council meets normally four times a year; the Assembly once; and each year the Council presents to the Assembly a report of its work. The two wing bodies, the Court of International Justice and the International Labour Office, are two virtua’ly separate organisations. They are under the control of the League and the Assembly is responsible for their respective budgets; but they have their separate staffs, are not under the League Secretariat and are located separately, the former at The Hague and the Labour Office in a new, specially erected building at Geneva. The Assembly elect the judges of the Court, which comprises eleven judges and four deJUQ’ judges. Assembly Committees When the Assembly is in session, its agenda is divided up and its various work is apportioned to six committees known as follows: (1) The Constitutional and Legal Committee, (2) the work of the Technical Organisations, (3) Disarmament, (4) Budget and questions of International Administration, (5) social questions, (6) political suestions. It may seem that these groups indF cate consideration of subject matter outside international peace work, but really what is embraced is according, generally speaking, to the requirements of the various treaties upon which the Covenant of the League was founded. Nevertheless, there admittedly is a tendency for extraneous oioposals to be introduced by enthusiastic members, and to prevent this constant watchfulness is exercised. All League Power? are members of the committees. The Famous Secretariat The League Secretariat, to which previous reference has been made, is under a frece’ary-General 'who wis specially apppointed under the Covenant —Sir Eric Drummond), a deputy, and two Urder-Sec.ctaries g’uo.nl. The rest of the Secretariat is divided into sections entrusted with duties as fol-

low's:—Political, financial and ee«»n omic, transit, minorities i-d administrative, mandates, disarmament, 1 ealth, social, intellectual co-operation, legal and information. The niq’ier officers are appointed for ?1 years, tut at the end of 7 years appcinria ;nt ic- renewed; the lower officers fo. 28 years, subject to a similar review. Huge Staffs Necessarily a huge staff is employed in all this League work. The Secretariat itself has a staff of about 400, and the Labour Organisation about 350. The financing of the League work is also a considerable undertaking. Last year the budget assumed the proportions of just over 25,000,000 gold francs (or approximately £1,000,000) and this year the Assembly was asked to provide a sum exceeding 26,500,000 francs (£1,080,000). The British Empire representatives who between them supply 26 per cent of the revenue of the League, asked for a reduction of 1,000,000 francs in the budget; the result of which request is not yet known. Statements one hears are to the effect that a check requires to be kept upon enthusiasts in the * ‘technical” branches, whose ideals are rather prone to lead them into r commending undertakings which are not altogether classed as essential tu the League’s operations.