Imperial Valley press., 1919-04-17
OF
LEAGUE OF
MA TIONS
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Continued from Page Three)
the covenants of the League seem
20 contemplate general war in such
! a case.
Moreover, NJ. Bourgeois, the oniy
one of the four members CT the COM
nlttee speaking en- the presentation
j Of the draft whose II remarks throw
,l.y light upon this point, said: Take
! j state that violates the internation-
al covenant. That state is supposed
! 20 be in state of war against ali
the members of the League" 1t
seems to me that it would be wiser
TO have it so, because the fact that
an attack against any member would
automatically mean war with all the
others would be a stronger deterrent,
would render such an attack, and the
general war it would inevitably ell
tail, even more remotely improbable
| than an apparently smaller penalty.
Whatever the intention, it ought, OF
course to be made perfectly clear
beyond the shadow of q doubt
1t may be observed that an cut
side power threatening war is to he
treated, so far as war is concerned,
.
League.
We hear the dread expressed. Are
we to send our sons abroad" But
if we make an agreement of that
sort and the nation which violates it
must go to war with the whole world,
| there is no danger of it whatever.
There is no more danger than there
| is of a rough attacking a body of a
| lC1o,, ,oolinapnnn II 1noS
pen, it cannot happen it will not hap
pen. 1t is like this question of cur
being called out to defend the Brit-
ish Empire. If anv small state at
tacks the British Empire the Brit
ish Empire can look out fer itself
and we need do nothing about it. If
any great nation attacks the Brit
ish Empire-well, it happened this
time, and we went in whether we mad
treaty or not.
Other Obligations.
The members of the League agree
to pay the expenses of the Secretar-
| lat in the ratio of their contributions
to the Universal Postal Union Cart.
! ". They further agree not to con-
ceal the conditions of their industries
jcapable of being adapted to warlike
purposes, and to interchange infor-
nation fully and frankly about their
military and naval programs Cart.
Wild. They agree to endeavor to Sc
cure fair and humane treatment of
! labor at home and in all countries
with which they trade Art. ANl' to
maintain freedom of transit and equi-
table treatment of commerce 10T
all members of the League Cart.
XXD; to place international bureaus
under the control of the League
! Art. XXID; to register all treaties
and agree that treaties until regis
tered shall not be binding (Art
XXIID; and, finally, that all obli-
/ cations among members OF the
| eague inconsistent with the Cove
nant are abrogated, and that no en-
gagements inconsistent therew!th
shall be made.
The Obligations Are Direct and Alb
/ sOlute, Not Discretionary.
These, with the duty OF sending Its
representatives, are the positive OBJ
legations assumed by the members
of the League; and 1t may be OBJ
served that they are direct obllga
tions upon the members to do, or ab
stain from, definite acts, either con
tinuously, or on the happening OF the
events described; never under the or
ders. or by the direction, of any or
gan of the League. The member:
agree to preserve, one anothrs' IN
.egrity and independence absolutely
not when directed to do so by TIT
League. If a member of the League
IS attacked before arbitration, they
agree to preserve one anothers' IN
diately, not if called upon to do 81
bv the Executive Council; and 81
on throughout the list. Their obi
cations are specified, not discretion
ary, still less arbitrary, on the par
# any international body or author
.ty. For the most part they aer de
vised with the object of preventing
war. and especially unjust or preda
tory war. In that respect they fol
low very closely the minimum essen
tials for a League Of Nations to pre-
lent war described in the openinj
If this address, and they seem effec
lively designed for the purpose.
Functions of the Executive COunci
Let us now turn to the function
of the representative organs OF tn
league. TIE most important 0
/ .hese is the Executive Council, whlc
is to consist of representatives Of tn
United States. the British Empire
France, Italy, Japan and of four othe
,tates that are members of tn