Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-04-29

Paris. April 29.--President Wilson
in his speech before the plenary session
of the Peace Conference yesterday after
noon said
"Mr. President: When the text OF
the covenant of the league of nations
was last laid before you I had the
honor of reading the covenant in cx-
tense. | will not detain you today to
read the covenant as it has now been
altered, but will merely take the liberty
of explaining to you some Of the altera-
tions that have been made.
1.-The report of the commission has
been circulated You yourselves have
| in hand the text of the covenant, and
will no doubt have noticed that most
of the changes that have been made
are mere changes Of phrascology, not
changes of substance. and that. besides
to clarity the document, or, rather, to
make explicit what we all have assumed
was implicit in the document as 1t was
originally presented to you. But i shall
take the liberty of calling your atten-
ton to the new features such as they
are. Some of them are considerable,
the rest trivial.
'The first paragraph OF Article ! is
new. In view of the insertion OF the
covenant in the peace treaty speclhc
proyision as to the sgnatories OF the
| treaty, who would become members OF
the league, and also as to neutral states
n no invited to accede to the covenant,
wore obviously necessary. The para
era nh also provides for the method by
which a neutral state may accede to the
covenant.
Withdrawal Provided
"Tbe third paragraph of Article l is
new. providing for the withdrawal of
any member of the league on a notice
given of two years. -,
"The second paragraph of Article ~
is new, providing for possible increase
in the council should other powers be
added to the league OF nations whose
''The last two paragraphs Of Article
l. " are new, providing specifically for
one vote for each member of the league
in the council which was understood
before, and providing also for one rep
rcsentatiye of each member OF the
league. .,.,, " 8
new. expressly Incorporating the pro-
vision as to the unanimity of voting,
which was at first taken for granted,
"The second paragraph OF Article .
has had added to it that a majority Oh
the assembly must approve the appoint
ment of the secretary general. ,,
1.-The first paragraph OF Article vi
names Geneva as the seat or the league
and is followed by Il second paragraph,
which gives the council power to es-
tablish the seat of the league elsewhere.
should it subsequently deem it neces-
sary. w,
.The third paragraph Of Article VII
is new. establishing equality OF employ
ment of men and women; that is u
say, by the league.
Cites Justiciable Disputes
"The second paragraph of Article
XIII is new. inasmuch as 1t uhdertakeS
to give instances of disputes which arc
generally suitable for submission 10 ar
bitration. instances of what have lat
terly been called 'justiciable' questions
"The eighth paragraph of Article ~
is new. This is the amendment regard
ing domestic jurisdiction. that wher'
the council finds that question arlsin'
out of an international dispute affect
matters which are clearly under th
domestic jurisdiction Of one or other %
the parties it is to report to that cffec
and make no recommendation.
1.-The last paragraph OF Article Nv
is new. providing for an expulsion from
the league in certain extraordinary cir
cumstances.
'Article XXI is new.
"The second paragraph of Article .
inserts the words with regard to manda
tories and who are willing to accep
, it, thus explicitly introducing the prin
ciple that mandate cannot be force
, , upon a nation unwilling to accept it,
, "Article NXIII is combination G
, several former articles and also contain
the following: A clause providing 70