New Britain herald., 1924-01-07

= decide for itself whether d breach 0 n the covenant has been committed.
 The second assembly adopted
 radically amended form of Articl 0 XVI from which was removed al $ reference to the possibility of employ , ing military force. and in which tn ? abandonment of uniform obligation f was directly provided for. The Brit s ish government has since proposed [,
 weaken the form of requirement stIl : further.
 Article \ and XVI, in their origi r nal forms. have therefore berp prac tically condemned by the principal or , gans of the league and arc today re. duced to something like innOcuo,I,
 de.suetude. The only kind of compuI
 sion which nations can freely engage
 tO apply to each other in the name ol
 peace Is that which arises from con.
 ference, from moral judgment, from
 full publicity. and from the power ol
 public opinion.
 Leadership Recognized
 Another significant development
 in the constitutional practice of the
 league is the unwilingness of the
 league council 10 intervene in any
 American controversy, even though
 all states in the New World except
 three arc members of the league.
 This refusal became evident in the
 Panama-Costa Rica dispute in 1921 and in the quarrel between Chile.
 Peru and Bolivia, a quarrel which i'm
 pelled the last two states to absent themselves from the third assembly, wherein Chilean was chosen to pre- side.
 Obviously the league intends to recognize the leadership of the United States in the New World precisely as the United States claims 1t. This is nothing less than the observance of an nnwritten law limiting the pow CTS and duties of the league council. defined in Article NJ of the covenant. to questions that seem to threaten the peace Of the Old World. When the United States is willing 10 bring the two halves of the world together for 1 friendly consideration Of common dangers, duties and needs, it will be l possible to secure, if 1t is de- sired. closer cooperation between the league organizations and the Pan American union, already a potential l regional league. 1t is conceivable that the family of nations may cvcn- tually clearly define certain powers and duties of relatively local signifi- canoe which may be developed upon local associations oi unions, But the world of business and finance is al- ready unified. The worlds Of scien- tific knowledge and humane effort arc nearly so. Isolation of any kind Is increasingly impossible. and world organization. already centralized, Is no more likcl. to return to dispn- nected cfrort than the Inited states is likely to revert to the Calhoun theory Of state rights and scss-sion.
 League RcaIixcs Principle
 of Inc Hague
 The operation Of the league has therefore evolved n council widely different from the body imagined by the makers of the covenant. IL can enpIo, no force but that Of pprsia- sion and moral influence. Its only actual powers are 10 confer and ad- wise, 10 create commissions 10 oNcr. else inquisitive, conciliatiye and arbi- tfal functions, and to hclp elect i judges Of the permanent court.
 In other words the force of circum- | stances is gradually moving the ! league into position upon the founda- ! tions so well laid by the worlds lead 1 CTS between 1893 and 1907 in the i, great international councils of that i period. The assemblies of the league | and the congresses of the interna- i tional labor organizations arc suc- Il cessors to the Hague conferences.
 The permanent court has at least Il begun to realize the highest hope and | purpose Of the second league con terence.
 The secretariat and the labor cffice have become continuation com II mittces for the administrative work Il Of the organized world, such as the Hague conference lacked resources to create but would have rcjolccd to see.
 The council. resolving loose and large theories into cicancut aud mod est practise. has been gradually rec DncilirE the league, as an organized world. with the Ideals of international temporarily obscUrcd since 1914 by the shadows of inc treat war.
 No one can deny that the organs of Inc league have brought 10 the sery- e. of the forces behind those ideals in efficiency. scope and variety Of sp- zeal that in 1914 would have seemed incredible.
 It is common knowledge that public ,pinis,u and official policy fn ug nitesI Statcs have for a long timk Il sitltOu distinction of party. bccsi \ as ofai,Ie to international conferences II or thc essfnmsHl welfare. and to fbc Il uf teDCfIiati,c. arbitral nd iudi,fal means for settling inter atiouaI disputes. HI There is no reason 10 believe that he judgment and policy have been H hanged. alUig tlicSc Sanr lines the H aguc is nov plainly crystaIIizing. $ iIaS ipxzi shown. and ai tIIr touch [ tho United Sfates thc prUess can l. expedited. In no other way can tho organized 'orld. from vhich the United states snncf be economically and spiriiu- ily separated, beif the power of pub z opinion 10 the new machinery. dc sed for the pacific settlement cf con- oNersies between nations and stand IE always ready for use.
 should Participate
 The United States geS ernrnent lould be authorized 10 propose CO., 1eration with the Ieaeue and par ripation in the work of ifs assembly II d council under the folloving con- lions and reservations: