New-York tribune., 1918-11-25
Would Form Council of
Cancellation to Mediate
for All Free Nations
Wants Rules Codihed
BY General Congress
Also Desires Administra,
tive Body for All Matters
of Common Interest

The League to Enforce Peace for
maily announced yesterday "Victory
programme" calling for the formation
at the peace congress of a League of
Free Nations, with judicial, administra-
tive and executive powers and func
tions.
This platform will be offered for the
Endorsement of all organizations ana
persons favoring international recon
struction, and according to the leagues
announcement aims to suggest prin-
clples as basis for discussion and
criticism rather than to attempt to
solve details of world reorganization.
William Howard Taft. president Of
the league, was chairman of the COM
mlttee which drafted the platform.
lhc members were A. Lawrence Lowell.
president of Harvard University; Os
cor 5. Straus, Theodore Marburg, for
merly Minister TO Belgium Hamilton
Holt, Talcott Williams, William H.
Short and Glenn Frank, of Boston.
fro1easor Stephen Duggan, secretary
of the New York League Of Free Ma
tions Association, who also was CON
! suited in drafting the platform, an
notnced last night that it had been ac-
cepted by his organization. The plat
/ form follows:
Security of States Wanted
"The war now happily brought to a
close has been above all q war to end
war, but in order to insure the fruits
OF victory and to prevent the recur-
renee of such catastrophe, there
should be formed League of Free Ma
tlons, as universal as possible, based
upon treaty and pledged that the Sc
curty of each state shall rest upon
the strength of the whole. The initial
ing nucleus of the membership of the
league should be the nations associated
as belligerents in winning the war.
The league should aim at promoting
the liberty, progress, and fair economic
opportunity of all nations, and the or
derly development of the world.
ut should insure peace by eliminat-
ing causes of dissension, by deciding
controversies by peaceable means, and
by uniting the potential force Of all
the members as standing menace
against any nation that seeks to upset
the peace Of the world.
"The advantages of membership in
the league, both economically and from
the point of view of security, should
be so clear that all nations will desire
to be members of it.
For this purpose it is necessary to
create:
Demands Impartial Tribunal
"For the decision of justiciable
questions, an impartial tribunal
whose jurisdiction shall not depend
upon the assent of the parties to the
controversy; provision to be made for
enforcing its decisions.
= "For questions that are not justi-
- ciable in their character, a Council
of Cancellation, as mediator, which
shall hear, consider and make recon-
mendations; and failing acquiescence
by the parties concerned, the league
shall determine what action. if any,
shall be taken.
Z "An adm illustrative organization
- for the conduct of affairs of COM
mon interest, the protection and care
of backward regions and International
ized places, and such matters as have
been jointly administered before and
during the war. We hold that this OBJ
ject must be attained by methods and
through machinery that will insure
both stability and progress; prevent
ing, on the one hand any crystalliza-
ton of the status quo that will defeat
the forces Of healthy growth and
change, and providing, on the other
hand. way by which progress can be
secured and necessary change effected
without recourse to war
4 "a representative congress to for
Z mulate and codify rules of interna-
tional law, to inspect the work of the
administrative bodies and to consider
any matter affecting the tranquility Of
the world or the progress or better
ment Of human relations. IFS delber-
ations should be public.
= "An executive body, able to speak
~ with authority in the name of the