Arizona republican., 1919-02-05
OUTLINES
 BASIS IF
 A LEAGUE
Republican A. p. Leased Wire1

PARIS, Feb. 4-President Wilson presided tonight over the committee of the society Of nations, which had be- fore it the completed project for con Stituting the league, for discussion ar ticle by article. While there is no au thoritative information concerning the details of the project, the distribution Of printed drafts among the members has disclosed the main features, and these can be summarized as follows:
 Two main plans have been present. ed, which the members of the commits sion regard as embodying the Amer ican views. though both plans are composite, containing the best features from various sources, American, Brit ish, French and italian.
 Both plans are being considered to- gether. In it's original form the first plan is generally regarded as more democratic, and therefore more accept able to the small powers, whereas the revised plan is not as acceptable to the small powers, as it eliminates them from the legislative branch of the pro- posed organization and is a long step toward the creation of an international supreme council, which a. fundamental basis of codified international law.
 Legislative Executive Administrative The first plan had three main fea- tures-first a legislative branch, on which the great and samll nations were equally represented, each as a unit. | Second-An executive branch, con- sisting of two members from each of ! the great powers United States, Great 1 Britain, France, Italy and Japan, and | nine members chosen from the small powers. This gave the executive body l a total membership of nineteen, Of whom ten represented the great pow CTS, and nine represented the small ! powers.
 Third-Arbitration was provided for the determination of international is sues. In case of a dispute between two nations, each nation named arbi- traitors and these two selected third arbitrator. Three arbitrators thus chosen constituted a tribunal for de- termining the issue.
 The foregoing, on broad lines. is the project which meets with most favor among the small nations. as they would be represented both on the leg islative and executive branches.
 Follow Council Organization
 It is to be noted that such an organ
 ization would follow somewhat the lines of that of the present peace con- ference, as the legislative branch is
 
 of the conference, while the executive
 branch is similar to the council of the
 great powers now holding daily ses-
 Sions.
 The revised plans make several inn
 portant changes. The executive branch
 remains the same with the great and
 small nations represented. The eX-
 ecutive branch is modified, however, so
 as to consist chiefly of the great pow CTS, with two representatives from each, to which others from the smaller , powers may be added when interests : especially affecting them are at issue. ? The third branch is entirely changed, so as to eliminate the plan of arbi- trtators and substitute an executive t council for the great powers as a
 tribunal for judging international is I sues, analogous to the international supreme council
 Small Powers Satisfied It is the two latter features which
 are regarded by the small powers as n tending to concentrate the executive
 and judicial branches in the hands oi f the great powers, whereas the smal Q powers prefer the plan giving them 2 status on the executive branch, and ar
 bitration as a means Of judicial de : termination, instead of a tribunal o " the great powers.
 Il The question now before the com U mission is one largely between tn. - great and small powers. Several smal 1T powers are understood to be preparing n amendments to the revised plan, witt n, a view to giving them representative. n in all branches of the organization, ans a. it is said the tendency among tn, d great powers is to give every reason n able consideration to these desires is while preserving to the major power d. such voice as their larger interests an, Id responsibilities warrant.