Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-04-30
THE LEAGUE CONSTITUTION

THE LEAGUE CONSTITUTION
The revised constitution for the League of Nations
has been unanimously adopted by the peace conferees in
session at Paris. and the document, in its present form.
will go before all the nations concerned for their approx
al or rejection.
In addition to the changes which have been made
in the body of the document. provision has been made
for the working machinery of the league in the designa-
ton of Geneva as the league capital, of Sir Eric Drum
mond as secretary-general, and in the &C mpletion of the
council by the addition of Brazil, Belgium, Greece and
Spain to the original five members of that body. France.
Italy. Great Britain, japan and the United States The
nations designated as those which may become charter
members of the league number IS. including 80 nations
which either engaged in war against one or more of the
central powers or severed diplomatic relations with them,
and 13 states which maintained official neutrality in the
war. Germany and seven other nations are excluded
from present membership. but may be admitted later at
the pleasure of the league. in accordance with the meth
DDS prescribed in the constitution. s E' az
There has been a Encouragement of many Of the
original paragraphs, and many minor verbal changes
have been made. Changes have also been made in the
provision for admission OF members, and provision for
withdrawal not formerly made, is now included. Among
other changes arc those providing the manner in which
the council may be increased; specifically declaring that
except where otherwise provided unanimous consent Shall
be required to give effect to proceedings: requiring the
appointment Of secretariat to be approved by the assem-
bly,; making women eligible to seats equally with men;
recognizing the Red Cross: and providing for league eff
fort for proper labor conditions. j. .
1t may be said generally that in the new document
there is no change which marks and important depart
ue in tho principle from the first draft. The Monroe
doctrine is given formal recognition; matters of domestic
policy are specifically excluded from the jurisdiction OF
the league; it is made clear that while the league may
n,aks recommendations as to the limitation of armament,
the use of force to carry out the decisions of the league,
and so forth. are matters for the final decision of the
member nations themselves; and no nation is required to.
become the mandatory Of the league, as for the scontrol2
Oh a, colony. without it's own consent. These things are
included in the new version in the form OF specific state
ment. They were included by implication in the former
draft. However, urgent demand was made for them,
and there can be no harm in expressing in words what
was already clear to the understanding.
Two features which have not been included are quite
important. The demand Of japan for a declaration Of
racial equality was not pressed to a vote. Sentiment at
the conference was overwhelmingly against such a pro-
vision, and the japanese did not wish to have a formal
vote recorded against them. They announce, their inten-
ton to continue to work for the recognition of this prin-
ciple, which they hold to be entirely just.
The constitution falls far short of what the French
delegates would have preferred in the matter Of giving
the league control over military armament. The league
Wou4u AdVe d HoIe powerful dnQ eIleCLlVe OOdy naQ
the French policy been followed, provided that could
have been done without arousing the antagonism of those
who fear exactly what the French have been trying to
bring about, the elevation Of the league into a real super
governments That it seems certain, is the .ultimate, des-
tiny Of the league. but that destiny is not to be reached
all at once. s a.asu-8a .s....sye,su
The document is an improvement over its predeces-
sor. Its expression has been made more direct and its
meaning more clear. There has been made an improve
'nent in the mechanics of the league. We have not been
able to see in the original draft any of the great dangers
which have SO alarmed some critics, and have believed
that palpably defective as it was, the adoption of the
constitution in it's original form, provided amendments
could not conveniently have been made, would have been
a tremendous step in the direction of progress. That be-
lief applies to the new constitution with such changes as
have been made. 1t will still prove to be in need OF
amendment, just as the constitution of the United States
was found to be in need or amendment before it had ac-
tuany been put to work. And amendments must be made
constantly, for we are not dealing with perfection. But
as the matter stands now, we will have a League of Ma
tons within a few months on the lines of the present
constitution, or we will have none at all, perhaps for
many years. The United States will be a member of a
League Of Nations under the constitution just published
or it will be a member of no league at all. The issue
before us is a present and practical one. We are not
choosing between this particular constitution eand some
ideal of perfection. We are to choose between this par
ticular document and nothing. That being the case. the
constitution should be approved and we should become
= member of the great world league.
ARLSTOCRACY AND LAND
An exchange comments on the fact that in England
ownership Of large I anded estat roo a bocoroo O.