Daily Kennebec journal., 1919-06-20
ARTICLES v, VI and VII
AAS;aa R,.1Aa

Voting Rules
Procedure and the appointment Of
committees in the Assembly and the
Council are to be decided by q ma
jority vote, almost all other matters
require unanimity. The functions Of
these bodies being mainly discus
sion, the requirement Of a unAni-
nous vote on questions of procedure
would enable one member to prevent
any subject from being debated; and
If it were required for the appoint
ment Of committees one member
could prevent gathering the ipfor-
nation needed for intelligent discus
sion.
The object Of demanding unani-
nifty for other matters was really to
still the alarm Of people who did not
understand that the organs Of the
power to direct the conduct Of the
members. But the provision is by no
means inconsistent with the principle
on which the League is based-that
Of automatic action by the members.
specifically set forth in the Covenant
itself. and beyond this conferences
with a view to voluntary concerted
action by all the members. For the
last purpose a unanimous vote Is not
inappropriate.
The Automatic Principle
1t may be well to explain here more
precisely what is meant by automa.
tic action on the part of a member
of the League. 1t denotes action
that is automatic so far as the
League or its organs are concerned.
not in regard to the constitutional
branches of its own government.
Under Article XVI. for example. II
one nation resorts to war against an
other in disregard of its covenants
the other members of the League
agree Immediately to subject 1t to
the severance Of all trade and hnan-
cial relations. and to prohibit an in
tercourse between their citizens and
it's citizens. This is automatic in the
sense that it is a direct and immedi-
ate obligation, wholly Independent OF
any action by any organ OF the
League. It 10 not automatic IN the
sense that the severance OF relations
takes place automatically without
any action by the governments OF the
several members of the League. Nor
does it determine what branch OF q
national government has power to
put it into effect. That depends upon
the constitution Of the nation. With
US it would require legislation, and
therefore action by Congress; but
Congress is under a moral obligation.
hu
which pledges the good faith OF the
nation, to enact the legislation re-
quired.
Permanent Sseretariat
The League will obviously need a
considerable body OF men to carry
on voluminous correspondence
among the members, to record the
proceedings Of the different organs.
to collect such information as they
may require, and to assist the vari-
Gus committees and standing COM
missions. In fact the convenience OF
the representatives. and the ease OF
working the organization will be
greatly promoted by the efficiency OF
such a secretariat and Its cnlel.
This is especially true because IN
popular governments-and no others
are expected to be members OF the
League-the men who hold the high
Offices of state change frequently,
and hence the representatives IN the
Council and Assembly are not likely
to remain long enough to be thor
oughly familiar with the details OF
previous transactions, but must de-
mend for much information upon the
secretariat.
In order, therefore. to render eff
cient service the Secretary General
and his subordinates should be per-
manent, fully conversant with the
history and condition of international
relations, but not themselves polit-
ical persons. Their duty is to serve
the League, not to direct it; and IN
view of the large influence that any
permanent expert. with the details OF
a matter at his fingers ends. can ex-
ert over a changing body OF pollticai
superiors, it is of the utmost impor-
tance that the secretariat should be
as free from bias and from political
motives as possible; SO that their OBJ
ject may be the success OF the
League as an tHSlAtuLiVus ASI SS'S
special interest of any particular
member. If rightly administered
the secretariat may we'll become one
of the most important and benencial
organs of the League.
Geneva Ideal Seat
Article VII needs little comment.
It confers upon the delegates to the
Council and Assembly. to their COM
missions, to the secretaries and to
the buildings they occupy, the free
dom from interference by local laws
and local officials conferred by uni
versal custom upon ambassadors and
embassies in foreign lands. In order
to ensure for the League complete
independence from influence and
pressure by any great nation. and
still more from any suspicion OF such
influence. it was wise to place the
seat of the League in a small and
traditionally neutral country. No
better place could have been selected
than Geneva.
II