The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-02-15

FEBRUARY 15, 1919 see at once that it is very simple, and in nothing so simple as in the structure which it suggests for a league of na- tions-a body of delegates, an executive council and a permanent secretariat.
 When it came to a question of de- termining the character of the represent ation in the body of delegates. we were all aware of a feeling which is curren. throughout the world.
 "Inasmuch as I am stating in the pres ence of the official representatives of the various governments here present, including myself, l may say that ther,. is universal feeling that the world can- not rest satisfied with merely official guidsace. There has reached us through many channels the feeling that if the deliberating body of the league of n..- tions was merely to be a body of off cials representing the various govern ments, the peoples of the world would not be sure that some of the mistakes which preoccupied officials had ad- mittedly made, might not be repeated.
 NOT REPRESENTATIVE
 'It was impossible to conceive a meth cd or an assembly so large and various as to be really representative of the great body of the peoples of the world, be- cause, as l roughly reckon it, we repre- sent, as we sit around this table, more than 200, ,000000 people,
 You cannot have representative as- sembly of 1,200, 0,e00,000 people but if you leave it to each government to have, ii it plcases, one or two or three repre- sentatives, though only with single vote it may vary it's representation from time to time not only, but it may origi- nate the choice Of it's several representa- tives.
 (Wirelcss here uninteligible)
 Therefore, we thought that this was proper and very prudent concession to the practically universal opinion of plain men everywhere that they wanted the door left open to a variety of repre- sentation instead of being confined to single official body with which they could or might not find themselves in sympathy
 And you will notice that this body has unlimited rights of discussion-l mean of discussion of anything that falls within the field of international rela- tions-and that it is especially agreed that war or international misunderstand- ngs or anything that may lead to fric- tion or trouble is everybody's business,
 
 world.
 r DISCUSSION VS. ARBITRATION
 And, in order to safeguard the popu- lar power so far as we could of this representative body, it is povided, you will notice that when a subject is submit ted, 1t is not to bi.ration but to dis cussion by the executive council; it can, upon the initiative of either of the parties to the dispute, be drawn out of the exe- cutive council on larger form of the gen. eral body of delegates; because through this instrument we are depending prima- rily and chiefly upon one great force and this is the moral force of the public opinion of the world-the pleasing and clarifying and compelling influences or publicity; so that intrigues can no longer have ther coverts, so that designs thai are sinister can at any time be drawn into the open, that those things that are destroyed by the dark may be promptly destroyed by the overwhelming light of the universal expression of the condemnation of the world.
 Armed force is in the background in this programme, but it is in the back ground; and if the moral force of the world will not suffice the physical force of the world shall. But that is the last resort, because this is intended as con- SIlIuLlOH OI ptdCe IlOl eS fb iSdooS o- war.
 , SIMPLICITY CHIEF VIRTUE -e'.The simplicity of the document seems to me to be one of it's chief virtues. because, speaking for myself, I was un- able to see the variety of circumstances with which this league would have 10 deal. l was unable, therefore, to plan all the machinery that might be necessary t2 ha djfferiOp and uneXDeCtGQ Therefore, l should say of this document that it is not a straight jacket, but vehicle of life.
 "A living thing is born and We must see to it what clothes we put on it. It is not a vehicle of power, but vehicle in which power may be varied at the discretion of those who exercise it and in accordance with the changing circum- stances of the time. And yet while it is elastic, while it is general in it's terms, it is definite in the one thing that we were called to make definite. It is a definite guarantee of peace It is definite guarantee by word against az eression It is definite guarantee against the things which have just come near bringing the whole structure of CIV ilization into ruin.
 POWERS UNMISTAKABLE
 "Its purposes do not for a moment lie vague Its purposes are declared and it's powers are unmistakable. It IS not in contemplation that this should be merely league to secure the peace of the world It is a league which can be used for cooperation in any inter- national matter That is the signifi canoe of the provision introduced con corning labor. There are many amell- orations of labor conditions which can ho effacted bv conference and discus
 
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