Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1919-06-17
ARTICLE II.
The Assembly.


This is the larger organ of the
League, the one in which all the mem
bers are represented, by three dele
gates apiece, if they please, so that if
all the forty-hve countries named in
the Annex to the Covenant should
join the League and each of them
should send its full complement of
three, the Assembly would fill one
hundred and thirty-five seats. Since
statesmen and others in all lands have
a strong desire to be of service on
such occasions it is probable that the
delegates present will not be much
less than this, number we'll fitted
for debate, but not for confidential
interchange of opinions on delicate
matters.
Actual Functions Limited.
The Assembly will, indeed, prob
ably attract more popular attention
than any other organ of the League;
and yet its actual functions, which
are to be found scattered through va
rious articles of the Covenant, are
extremely limited. Besides regulating
its own procedure and appointing its
committees it is empowered to select
the four smaller states to be repre-
scented on the Council to approve of
engagements of the Council, to con-
firm the selection of the Secretary
General, to report upon disputes be-
tween nations referred to it by the
Council or by either of the disputants,
to advise the reconsideration by mem
Ibers of the League of treaties that
have become inapplicable and the con-
sideration the peace of the world,
and by two-thirds vote to admit new
members of the League. Except,
therefore, for some definite powers
relating to the organization and mem
bership of the League, its authority in
international affairs is confined to
making a report in certain disputes,
and giving some advice to the mem
! bers.
What then is the meaning of the
! third clause Of the article which pro-
vides that "the Assembly may deal at
its meetings with any matter within
the sphere of action of the League, or
affecting the peace of the world"
| Clearly this does not mean that it can
deal only with the subjects to which
it's authority extends by the provisions
of the Covenant, for that would re-
duce its field of discussion to almost
nothing. Nor, on the other hand, does
it mean that the Assembly can take
action binding upon the members in
all matters within the sphere of ac-
!ion of the League because specific
provisions are made for dealing with
those matters, and the Interpretation
suggested would render all such pro-
visions futile. The Assembly wuld
have power to override them all.
Moreover, Article V. declares that eX
cept where otherwise expressly pro-
yided decisions of the Assembly or
Council shall require the consent of
all the members of the League repre-
scented at the meeting. But a unani-
nous decision of forty-fve countries
can never be attained where there is
any serious difference of opinion, and
where there is not it is needless. To
authorize the Assembly to take unani-
nous action on any subject they
pleased would, therefore, be simply
comforting power that cannot be
used.
Importance of Discussion.
In view of the other specific pro-
visions of the Covenant the intention
of the clause is perfectly clear. 1t
means that the Assembly is authoriz-
ed not to decide, but to discuss, all
matters within the sphere of action
of the League or that affect the peace
of +ba world Tn tn;s if is the s1c-