Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-09-16
osE8R
EXPLAINING THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS

EXPLAINING HE LEACOE UT NAAAVAVO
AS an illustration of the way the public is being misled in
regard to the League of Nations, we quote the following from
last nights New Brunswick Home News: D.
article 40 makes it possible for the Supreme COUNCIL
in which we have only one vote to England's six, to send our
BOYS to China. The real American wants none OF thls''
Again. in another editorial in last nights Home News, our
New Brunswick contemporary attempts to explain Article AZ
an plain English" The Home News prints Article 49, whch
it admits is plain enough in itself, as follows;
Article 1O-The Members OF the League under
fake TO respect and preserve as against external ag-
erosion the territorial integrity and existing polltl-
cal independence of all Members of the League. In
case of any such aggression, or in case of any threat
q danger of such aggression, the council shall adj
wise upon the means by which this obligation shall F.
be fulfilled.
"Anvbodv who understands the English language will
not be misled by Article 40" says the Home News, and then II
goes on to give an absolutely wrong Interpretation OF the way
Article 40 would be acted upon. Here Is ue way 'he Aon0
News explains it!
"Anvbodv who understands the English language will not
be misled by Article 40. If England has any trouble with any
of her territories situated throughout the world, including In
da and Ireland, we are obliged to go to her aid.
"But, say the League, this can not be done until the coun-
c' shall advise upon the means by which this obligation shall
be fulfilled.
tRight. Exactly so, and in this council England will have
six votes to our one, which indicates that the obligation will
be fulfilled as England dictates"
If the Home News would take the trouble to read Articles
3 and 4 of the league covenant it would lind that the couhcl,
which is mentioned in Article 40, is made up of representa-
tives of the principal allied and associated powers, which are
Great Britain, France, United States and Japan, together with
representatives of four other members Of the league.
In other words, the council consists Of eight members,
Great Britain, France, United States and Japan being perma-
nent members and the other four members being elected by
the assembly. In this council, which is the active body in the
league, each member has one vote and all decisions must De
unanimous.
1t is in the assembly where the British Empire has six
votes and not in the council, as stated by the Home News. This
is an entirely different matter.
The League of Nations has been likened to our congress,
consisting of two houses, the council of the league correspond
ing to our Senate and the assembly of the league being Tx
ened to our House of Representatives. Perhaps a better Nus
tration would be that of a corporation with the assembly in
the league corresponding to the stockholders and the council
of the league functioning as a board of directors.
Just as in a corporation the stockholders have a different
number of votes, according to the number of shares of stock
they hold, so there may be a difference in the number OF votes
cas-. in the assembly of the League of Nations. But the stock
holders of a corporation meet only once a year and merely TO
elect the directors who conduct the business of the corpora
ton and each director has but one vote. The only difference
between the board Of directors of a corporation and the coun-
Gil of the League of Nations is that four members OF the coun-
cil-Great Britain, France, United States and Japan-are per-
nanent members of the council and only four members Of the
council are elected by the assembly from the rest OF the mem
bership of the league.
Now. it is in the assembly of the league where the British
Empire has six votes. These consist of one vote for Great
Britain and one vote each for Canada, Australia, South Africa,
New Zealand and India. These are all self-governing to all
intents and purposes and while they each have a vote in the
assembly, the council, which is the actual working body of the
league, has but eight members with only one vote each, SO that
no one nation has an advantage over the others.
The trainers of our own constitution went up against the
same opposition when our constitution was presented to
the states 1872 years ago. If ratified, | was
said, it would rob the people of their liberties. Especially
in the great states of Virginia, New York and Massachusetts
there were long and bitter contests. The result was in doubt
almost to the end, and there was only a narrow margin in
favor of ratification.
At the most critical period Washington, who had been
- :aoo P 4ho oon-oolsoo 4bt Inoy - wv know b;neoIF
into the breach with the infallible judgment of his which al
ways saw the way to victory. He said:
1.-THE constitution or disunion are before us to choose
from. If the constitution is our choice, a constitutional door
is open for amendments, and they may be adopted in a peace