New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1919-03-20

countries on whom the burden III
case of breach of the peace, Would
chiefly rest. a body small enousn ~
work out In detail recCmmenda''oiis
10 be submitted to the me-" pet . "
the league for acceptance, nouh'o''
ton or rejection.
at will, 7 think. be generally Az ooo
Ivy all persons who desire go
of Nations that these points 49,
essential minimum of any leas ue
can be effective in preventing C,,o
us now examine how tar TUG ~,
nant of Paris cover these po1l''' "'''
what else it covers.
Draft Of Covenant
THE covenant is very deleo,l1e
is drafting. In places IL 10 81
that the meaning is OFTEN s,,,tf,,I
IL expressed and sometti'f@7 49,.
- - aoei1,. misunderstood. and mas
in fort been widely misrnders'oou' 80
er;7.a siro,,o example of what must
bn defactiye drafting, Article AVl.
,,rov;das that If any country Resorts
= ,,ar il, disregard Of its covenant
+l,e roen, bers Of the league shaA I'LL
,,,odia+e1v prevent all financial, COM
nercia1 and personal Intercourse pc
! tween the nationals Chat IS the citi-
! zens) of the covenant breaking SIh'0
! and tho nationals OF any other sta'o'
! whether a. member of the league vi
, ,ot It is not difficult Tor members
! OF the league to prevent thell own
| citizens from trading With the GU
zens OF the offending country put
how about the citizens OF other coun-
+,ies not members Of the league? NO
doubt the trainers of TINS clause nau
in mind a blockade; but what II inc
Offenders land frontiers border upon
countries not members OF the league
Suppose, for example that the new
state Of Poland should, contrary TO
her covenant, attack Czecho-SloVaKla"
How are the leagueI nations to pre-
! vent the Poles. from trading with the
| Russians and Germans on the East
! and West? Apparently something
| here is wrong.
| THE meaning OF the covenant
| should be made perfectly certain, and
VIC may assume that every effort VIII
| be made to effect this, because when
| people know what they intend, and
want the whole world to know what
! they intend, they are naturally will
| ing to make their meaning clear.
| ent shape the covenant is intended
| only as a draft, subject to correction
for if it were regarded as finished
and interchangeable, it would not have
| been given out until submitted for
ratification It is defective as is al
unfinished legislation that embodies
much of compromise. For the first
time we have an experiment in Opcr
diplomacy. the public being admitted
to inspect the process before 1t Il
| COMPLETED. 1t would certainly be un-
fortunate for that experiment If crlti
cism of the draft we've purely de-
structive; and yet we have SO far hac
no criticism Of a constructive charac
ter. From those, and they are many
! who profess to believe in a League
| of Nations but not in this particular
| plan, we have heard little or nothing
| of the way this plan could be i'm
proved to meet their views. Crit
cispo seems to have been left aim os
wholly to those who object to
| League of Nations altogether.
The Executive Council.
| Let us now turn to the function
of the representative organs of TIL
league. The most important Of tines
is the Executive Council, which is t
consist of representatives Of tn
United States, the British Empire
France, Italy, Japan and of four othe
states that are members of the league
those states being selected by tn
body of delegates. The Executiv
Council SO constituted is given author
: ity to formulate plans for the reduc
: ton Of ornaments Cart. Will; t.
r advise how the evils of private manu-
I,~ ~
ed Cart vIII); to advise upon tn
: means by which the integrity and in
- dependence of the members of tn
= league may be preserved in case Of at
9 gression, or danger thereof Cart. x.)
. | to propose what shall be done If
q, state fails to carry out the award c
l an arbitration by which it has agree
to abide Cart. XIII); to formulat
plans for a permanent court of inter
Il national justice Cart. XIV; to ir
quire into disputes between states an
e make recommendations thereon &C
s refer the matter to the body of dele
n gates for inquiry, and to propos
t measures to give effect to it's oW
e unanimous recommendations in sue
a cases Cart. XVI If a state goes I
= war contrary to it's covenants an
= thereby draws upon itself the sane
|, ton provided in the agreement of til
= members, it is the duty of the Excel
f tive Council to recommend what mil
q tary Or naval forces the members
d the league shall severally contribu'
4 to protect the covenants of the leagu
!, Cart XVII The council can furtht
: prescribe the conditions upon whic
a state not a member of the leagl
:. shall accept the obligations of men
~ bership for the purpose of a particl
=. lar dispute, and in case of refusal
- may take such action and make sue
d" recommendations as will prevel
IA hostilities Cart. XVIII
n 80 far the authority of the Excel
l, tive Council, with regard to the men
rI hers of the lea que. is strictly linlite