Evening star., 1919-04-28
NATIONS LEAGUE
DRAFT AMENDED
Original Covenant Changed
With View to Quieting /.
Criticism in U. S.
MEMBER NATIONS LISTED

The revised covenant Of the league
of nations, as it was to be presented
at Paris today to the peace confer
ence in plenary session, was made
public last night by the State De-
partment. It's essential features. in
cluding important amendments de-
signed to meet criticisms in the
United States Of the original draft
already had been disclosed through
an official summary issued two weeks
ago when the rivision was completed.
Attached. to the text, however, Is
the hitherto unpublished annex" re-
ferred to in the covenant. in which
cluding the self-governing British
dominions, which are to be the orig
inal members of the league of ma
tions and thirteen nations to be in
vited to accede to the covenant. The
original members are all the nations
which declared war on Germany; and
in addition the new states of Czecho-
Slovakia and Poland.
Those invited to become members by
acceding to the covenant are the three
Scandinavian countries. the Neither
lands. Switzerland, Spain and Persia.
and the American republics of Argen-
tina, Chile. Colombia, Paraguay, Saliva
dor and Venezuela.
Mexico Not Represented.
Mexico was not represented in the
conference of neutrals at Paris and, as
was expected, does not appear in the
list. Provision is made in the cove
nant. however. for the admission to the
league of any fully self-governing coun-
try which will give required guarantees,
upon a two-thirds vote OF the assem-
lily, composed of representatives Of the
member nations.
Two cabled corrections upon the text
of the annex to the covenant were re-
Ceived today by the State Department.
In the list of original Members the name
of New South Wales was eliminated and
that of New Zealand substituted. The
word mo was inserted at the begin
ming OF the last sentence to correct an
obvious error in transmission.
An Original Clause Retained.
AS in the original document. the
covenant provides that the league
shall act through an assembly. in
which each state shall have one vote
and not more than three delegates,
and council, comprising for the
present one representative OF each of
the five great powers and each of four
other powers to be selected from time
to time by the assembly. Members of
each class represented on the council
may be increased by unanimous con-
sent of the council and a majority of
the assembly.
Publication of the text discloses
that the official summary quoted YER
batim the new article recognizing the
Monroe doctrine. 1t provides that
nothing in the covenant shall be
deemed ito affect the validity of in
ternational engagements such as
treaties of arbitration or regional un-
derstandinGs like the Monroe doctrine
for securing the maintenance of
peace" This was the amendment for
which President Wilson made sue
cessful fight at the same time the
Japanese delegation to the peace con-
ference sought vainly to have a race
equality provision inserted in the
covenant.
Meets q. S. Senate Criticism.
Changes suggested in criticisms in
| the United States Senate add pro-
| visions for the withdrawal OF q
| member nation upon two years notice
! after fulfillment OF the league obli-
! cations. exempt domestic questions
| from the leagues Jurisdiction, pro-
vide that mandatories over German
| colonies or former Ottoman domin-
| ions shall be given only to nations
| will -