The sun., 1919-10-08
The League within the League
Persia VIII Make Ii Seven.


Persia WIN Make IL Seven.
The remarkable statement by Sir
] RoBEBT BORDEN, contributed by him
/ to the Canadian Section of THE SUN
| yesterday, puts a new aspect Of, sur
| passing importance and far reaching
| significance upon the status of the
I British representation in the Assem-
/ bly, Of the proposed League of Ma
/ tions. Sir ROBERT tells, us how he
1 contended from the first for a full
4 recognition of the Dominion's diplo-
! matte autonomy and separate respon-
J eibility in the proceedings of the
Peace Conference. The Canadian
Premier succeeded in obtaining this
4 recognition, and in a measure of full
! ness as yet but imperfectly under
stood throughout the world. OF
course, that recognition carried with
1t the establishment of similar sta
tus for the other dominions holding
r similar relation to the British EN-
! pire's motherhood.
'.rhe Dominions case" says Sir
ResxsF, twas pressed. and in the final
form as amended and Incorporated In
the treaty of peace with Germany the
status Of the Dominions as to men,
| bership and representation in the AS
! sembly and Council was fully recog-
nized" They are to become members
! of the League as signatories of the
treaty. "The terms Of the treaty"
1 the Canadian Premier points out,
make no distinction between them
/ and other signatory members" This
I status was not won without constant
| effort and firm insistence. 1t had the
1 support throughout-an very natu-
l rally, as may be supposed-of LLOYD
| GEORGE; and, perhaps not so natu-
rally, 1t had the acquiescence and con-
sent of President WILSON, represent
ing the United States. Full nation
ality and equality are implied in the
arrangement. Sir RoBERT speaks
more than once of Canada and the
4 other British dominions as nations"
each "nation" preserving unimpaired
( It's absolute autonomy and enjoying
in the future scheme of international
relationship the same status as that
/ Of minor Powers.
The establishment of what Sir ROB-
ERr properly terms "the new and
definite status of the Dominions" Is
a LII taI1 fnr in ton
official statement as to the true in
4 tent and meaning Of the provisions of
the covenant in that regard" and this
official statement now forms part of
i the archives of the conference.
Z Certainly, the spacious progress in
I the direction Of full nationhood thus
\ secured for Canada by her Premiers
policy and efforts constitutes one of
1 the most impressive facts among the
4 by-products of the conference. Its
Importance to the future of the world
can scarcely be overstated. While the
Government and the people of the
United States will rejoice in every
achievement of Canadian statesman
ship that tends to strengthen the po-
sition and enhance the prestige Of
our great and friendly neighbor To
the north of us, there is one feature
of SIR ROBERT BoRDEN's announcement
which commands attention and invites
: scrutiny from the point of view of
our own national interests. 1t will
be observed that the Canadian Pre-
mier either consciously or uncon-
sciously challenges the principle of
equal representation as between the
United States and Great Britain in
the Leagues government when he as
serts the principle and. records the
establishment of equal representation
4 for Canada within the British system.
I For he sums up the immense gain in
autonomy which the DOminions have
made during the negotiations at Paris
In this highly suggestive PASSAGE:
each nation Tin the British sys-
tsm] must preserve unimpaired its
absolute autonomy. but II must like
wise have its voice as to those ex-
ternai relations which involve the is
4 sue of peace or OF war. So that the
Britannia Commonwealth Is in itseB a
community or league Of nations
] ,ohteh may serve as an erempIar 10
4 that ,oorld,oide League Of Nations
I vhtoh toos founded on the 2Sh Of
last Jane"
A league within the League! The
main fact could not be more frankly
presented. consciously or uncon-
.