The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-05-23
LEAGUE OF NATIONS
NEEDS AN ASSEMBLY
Well = Known Author Now In
France Tells Why Elective
Body Is Essential.
BY Norman Angel.

Paris. France.-A most important
point for the American public to rea.
LIE Is that the covenant of the league
of nations ts'in no sense final These
rs articles are merely draft present
ed for discussion. A decisive public
opinion can very greatly modify this
first draft. Sir Robert Cecil, one of
. the leading British advocates of the
league of nations and member Of the
peace conference committee, both pub
lfcly and privately almost begs for
agitation to strengthen the hands of
those who want better league.
Representation for People.
AS a result of many conferences and
conversations with important people
here, am convinced that liberal opin-
ion Is unanimous and that agitation
should center on the demand for the
creation OF representative assembly
along such lines that the league Of ma
lions will not develop into an immense
bureaucratic union of governments in
stead of the hoped for democratic
union of peoples. Effective popular rep
resentation must be insisted upon.
PEOPLES, NOT GOVERNMENTS
ONLY, MUST BE REPRESENTED
IN A BODY WITH POWER OVER IN
TERNATIONAL AFFAIRS.
The principle the American Union
expresses is In direct contrast to the
principles underlying the federated
states of the German empire. In i'm
perial Germany, governments, not peo-
pies, were represented. If the govern
ment of the United States had consist
ed merely of the representatives Of
AZ states, the Union could never have
been maintained on democratic basis.
The amendment providing for the d.
rect election Of senators shows the
American distrust of only government
al representatives.
Safety in Voice of People.
1t is our safeguard that the house
OF representatives represents not state
governments but the majority and min
ority opinion of hundred million peo-
pie. Any new international arrange
ment must have a similar provision, and
America as well as her allies must
deliberately demand now that some
body be created in which can be rep
resented all the great parties and in
terests in the various states of the
league.
A legislative assembly with power
to pass international laws would meet
now with great opposition as causing
loss of national sovereignty How
ever, power to enact laws is not neces.
sary nor desirable at first. Ample ex-
perience with the International Postal
union, the Danube commission and the
International Institute of Agriculture.
ETC.. proves that the mere recommoda.
lions Of an important advisory body
soon came to have the force of law.
Yet the power to make such recon-
medations implies no surrender of ma
tional sovereignty and avoids the ques-
ton of repudiating contracts IL ma
tons do disagree with the decisions
of such a body.
IAN executive interstate council ia
not enough. The world requires a
forum where the opinion and con-
science of mankind can find expires.
sion, where the chosen leaders of the
democracies can interpret the thoughts
and aspirations Of their peoples, and
at the same time educate themselves
by contact with colleagues from all
over the world.
Arrangements should be made for
periodical congress IF delegates