Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1920-10-06
la B c Of the League
IF Nations
BY VIII Irwin
rI-How the League Is Organizci1
and Operated
Repriated by Request

g% Reprinted by Request
@. How is the league Of ma
tions organized?
J A. It's direction consists Of two
bodies:
~ The council.
;(2) The assembly.
OF these, the smaller, more ac-
tive, and therefore. more import
ant, will be the council 1t will
have--if we ratify the covenant
nine mem bers, representing Great
Britain, France, Italy, Japan the
United States. and four smaller ma
tions. The five great powersJ un-
less the covenant is amended, will
be represented permanently. The
identity of the four smaller ma
tons will be changed from time to
time. At present these are Bel
GUM, Greece, Spain, and Bra
zil CD.
The larger, less active, and less
important branch will be the as
sembly, comprising not more than
three representative Of each ma
tion having membership in the
league.
There will also be a permanent
secretariat, composed Of experts,
attached to the council and as
sembly.
@. What are the relative 'func-
tions of the council and the as
sembly?
A. In theory, their functions are
the same; in practice the council
will do the most work. 1t will meet
frequently while the assembly will
meet at longer Intervals CD. In
case of sudden crisis threatening
war it would be more difficult to
convene a Srompt meeting Of the
assembly than of the council
If you thing of the council as .
board of directors and OF the as
sembly as a meeting of stOckhoid-
ers, you will have a helpful COM
parison. Nl
Q. What, then, is the use Of the
ASSEMBLY?
A. The most important use Of
the assembly will be to give the
smaller members of the league not
represented in the council an OPP
portunity to express their views
and to exert an influence. The
agreements reached by the assem-
bly, may therefore have more
wight than those arrived at by
the council. 1t is likely that the
council will be guided in its ac-
tion by principles agreed to- by the
assembly. The assembly, owing to
the participation of all the ma
tions, will have greater publicity
In it's meetings, which Will pc
open and fully reported by the
press, the actual or remote causes
L of friction between nations will
have full discussion. An import
ant specific function of the assem-
bly will be the admission Of new
members to the league. This VIII
become important when Germany
seeks membership. 1t is the In
tention to admit Germany when
ever she proves that she is fulfill
ing the obligations imposed by the
peace treaty and whenever the ha-
treds bred by her action in 1919
are sufficiently anteliorated.
O. How will the league operate
to prevent wars?
A The covenant compels arDI-
tration or investigation, with the
consequent delay and publicity pe-
l eo.a racort IN arms.
"a If any serious dispute arises
between members of the league
which they recognize as suitapie
(?) for arbitration the members
a gree to submit the matter to arDi-
tration.
(z) The members of the league
agree to submit to the council Tor
Investigation and report any dis
nute which Is not submitted to ar
| bitration.
(S) The members of the league
agree not to resort to war over
such dispute until three months at
tet the decision by the arpitrators
mr. after the report of the council.
AS the council has six months In
which to make it's report, ana as
the arbitrators would propapiy
take as long, this would delay war
at least nine months.
O. How would this provision
have operated in 1914?
A. The crisis leading to the war
became acute about July 1, 1914.
War was begun on August l. un-
dor the conditions imposed Dy the
League If could not have begun un-
III March /, 1915. AS March is
the season of slack food SUPPLY.
and the central powers wouio
nrobably have waited for their
harvest before attacking, they
would doubtless have delayed ac-
tion until July or August, 1sl5-
| n ueriod of one year from the pe
ginning of the cris s.
G.. What is the use OF the de-
Law before commencing hostiliues
A. In the light of nineteenth
century history, it is of the great
est service to peace. AT the De
ginning of any dispute wnich
Lseems likely to result in war the
nations secretly or openly monsi-
ize their great military and navat
establishments. In modern war.
as the japanese proved in 1900 anu
the Germans in 1914. early sue
cess lies with the party which
strikes first. Even If one nation
intends to act purely on the de-
fensive, it dare not risk the al
vantage which the other may gain
by that first attack. The acci-
dental discharge of a gun may IN
this state of national nervousness,
precipitate hostilities. The delay
| r. 49, 80 ,,ina months would