The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-05-10

Bolivia Brazil, Czecho Slovakia. Poland |
Peru, Panama, Siam, Uruguay. Liberia.
and Guatemala-all of whom were in tho
war or signed the treaty of Versailles
and the. states which were neutral but
have Joined the league such as Argentine
Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Netherlands
Norway, Venezuela, Paraguay, Persia,
Sakado, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland
| The meeting OF the foregoing member
ship list can best be understood when
| it is considered that every one of those
rs nations, including for instance japan,
is absolutely pledged ;aotsto make war
without first allowing nine months for
investigation or arbitration .s,r the con
sideration of their disputIes by the coun-
ell or assembly of the league Iof nations.
None of these nations can now 90 to
war with each other or with other pow
ers on the spur OF the moment without
invoking the possible ill-will or even mill !
tary force of all the other powers. The
making OF war is not prohibited after
the nine months period has elapsed nor
would military intervention be consd-
cred during that period if both parties
agreed to submit their case to inquiry
or arbitration. But for all practical pur-
poses the hands of IS nations have been
! tied for a nine month cooling off period.
Only II states have signed the treaty
of Versailles, but have not ratified it
and so are not members of the league.
, These include the StTnited States, Cuba.
: Ecuador, Greece, Haiti Honduras. Mic
araugua, Portugal, Roumania, Hediaz
) and the new ,Jugo- Sav state.
China abstained from signing the
: treaty of Versailles, but will ioin the
l league by ratifying the Austrian treaty
which contains the covenant of the
league. -Four other states-San Marine
: Luxembourg, Georgia and Iceland-were
7 not mentioned in the original covenant
e but have asked to be admitted to the
league. Mexico has never been asked to
join.
r Concretely, the different meetings of
e the council have accomplished these
4 things:
j., January l5-Organized the council and
/. appointed the Saar- Basin frontier com
mission.
February ll-Admitted Switzerland
adopted rules of procedure for the coun.
ell, appointed the Saar Basin governing
commission, accepted the obligation
offered in the Polish treaty for the pro
lection OF minorities, approved plans fol
the organization of the permanent court
of international justice, for the freedom
of communication and transit, and fol
the international health office and sum
moned the international financial con
ference.
March l3-Approved plans for sending
league commission OF inquiry to Rus
STA, and took first steps for the proven
ton of typhuS in Poland
April 9-Answered request of suprem,
council that the league take a mandate
in Armenia with the statement that il
would assume general oversight for tn,
time being.
The next meeting at Rome will follow
the program already set forth in the be
ginning of this dispatch The bulge
will be apportioned among the Is mem
bers. The total cost Of the league thu
far is about 100000 and the sum O
S2,50O,000 is required for the next fsca
year. When divided by % this is an in
significant sum as government expense
go, and a relatively small sum to pay i
an effort TO keep theworld at,peace