Evening star., 1934-07-08
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Society Of Nations, with an Interna-
tional High Court to try all justiflable
issues between nations; an Interna-
tional Legislature to enact such COM
mon laws as can be mutually agreed
upon, and an International Council
of Mediation to endeavor to settle
without ultimate conflict even those
disputes which are not justifiable.
We would have all the nations of the
world most solemnly undertake and
promise to make common cause
against any one of them that broke
away from this fundamental agree
ment."
Essential Elements.
The sanctity of international law
and contracts; the judicial settlement
Of legal disputes; the open interna-
tional discussion, with the help of an
impartial council, of all causes of in
ternational difficulty and misunder-
standing; the promotion of co-opera-
ton and the making of general con-
ventions on all matters of common in
terest; mutual guarantees against ag-
greSSion by the joint action Of the
members to restrain any one of their
number who might break their funda-
mental law-these were and must re-
main the essential elements of the
Covenant Of the League. Without
these essential elements no interna-
tional constitution could be made that
would be worth the paper on which
1t was written.
But on this basis of essential rules
there is unbounded scope for develop
ment and growth. The covenant it
self, indeed, provides for its own
amendment. Article 26 lays down the
rules by which change can be effected.
1t may be said that these rules do not
make amendment easy, since they re-
quire the consent of every one of the
Is members of the Council, some Of
whom have permanent seats and
therefore cannot be replaced, what
ever obstruction they may make. That
is true enough, and in so far as it is
true the constitution of the League is
rigid"
Yet in actual practice it has not
proved to be more rigid than the con-
Stitutions Of many national states.
For even in the first 10 years of its
existence considerable use was made
of the rules of Article 26. At the very
first meeting of the Assembly in 1920
various proposals were put forward for
changes of vital importance. Canada
proposed to delete altogether the guar
antics of territorial integrity and po-
litical independence contained in
Article 10 Other nations proposed
amendments to the sanctions clauses
of Article Is, to the provisions gov
erning the alloctaion of the expenses
of the League, and even to Article 26
itself.
Minor Changes Made.
The Canadian proposal, after pro-
longed discussion, was finally with
drawn by Canada in favor of an in
terpretative resolution. adopted with
one contrary vote by the Assembly of
1923.
The other proposals we're referred
to a special committee of jurists, un-
der the craftsmanship of Lord Balfour.
hAtCA AloIulC COllo4OCl dOIO4l OOAO OuL-
four reported a number of draft
amendments to the second Assembly
in 1921. The Assembly adopted these
amendments with minor changes
Some of them in due course received
the ratiflcations which Article 26 re-
quires, and accordingly entered into
force. Thus Article dealing with the
ALLEGATION of expense-that is. with
the burden of League taxation" upon
its MEMBERSHIPS changed, and a new
system Of ALLEGATION was applied in
1924. Other minor amendments-to
Articles II, 13 and 15-also entered
into force in 1924.
Similarly. another amendment Of
great constitutional importance, en-