LEAGUE OF NATIONS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 74, 21 December 1918, Page 7

LEAGUE OF NATIONS

WHAT IS. PROPOSED

BRITAIN'S PEACE TREATYj Many of the statesmen of (he All countries"are talking nl present of.l League of Nations' which is to tind take in (he future (ho i-etilement of! internalional differences and make wj impossible—or at least, exceedingly ] profitable for the country rush enov to defy the rulings of the league, j may not bo generally remembered tl on", September Hi, ISH, in (lie se« munlh of the great war, Britaiu and j United States concluded a Ireaty desij wl to make impossible a war botwj (lie tiro gival. brandies uf tlie Aiig Saxon race. The treaty is of particu' inh?ii j sl at Dip pre-ent limp, since! indicates the sort of basis that, will hi to be provided fur the League of 1 lions. ' ' :''.'.:. i

Britain and Ilic United States agr< that there should bo established an i ternalional Commission of five "meinbe to be composed in accordance with I following rules:— j One member shall be chosen froii each counlry .by the Governnien! thereof; one member shall be chosel by each Government from some thiri country; the fifth member shall bj chosen by common agreement be Iween the (wo Governments, it beinj understood that he shall not be | citizen of either country. j The expenses of the Commissioi shall be paid by (ho (wo Govern ments in equal proportions. . i The International Commission ehal be appointed within six mouths uftej the exchange of the ratifications oj this Treaty, and vacancies shall l> filled according to the manner of thj original appointment. The treaty provided that all dispu between Great Britain and the Unit States should be referred to this Co mission. The clause governing the we of the Commission was as follows:— I ARTICLE 3. j In case the High Contracting Partiej shall have failed to adjust a disputl by diplomatic methods, they shal at once refer it to the Internationa Commission for investigation and re port. The International Commissioi uiii^ , , hoirever, spontaneously, bj unanimous agreement, offer ile ser 1 vices to that effect, and in such caei it shall notify Iwlh .Government* jind ren.ne.st their co-operation in thj investigation. • ] In the event of its appearing t| His Majesty's Government that tht British interests affected by the dis puto to be investigated are not maiu ly those of the United Kingdom but are mainly those of wine one oj ' more of tho. self-governing, domin! ions, namely, the Dominion-of Canada, the Commonwealth of Auetra! lia, the Dominion of New Zealand the Union of South Africa, and New foundland, His Majesty's .Govern-; nient shall be at liberty to substitute as the member chosen ly them t< serve on the International Commis sion for 6iich investigation and re, port another person selected from I list of persons to be. named, one fol each of the self-governing dominions but only one shall act-namely, that one who represents the dominion lm': mediately interested. N I The High. Contracting Parties agrei to furnish the. Permanent luternaj tional Commission/with all the meani nnd facilities required for its invest* gation and report. ; { The report of the International Commission shall be completed witbJ in one year after th« date on whiot it shall declare its investigation tc liavo begun, unles3 the High Com . tracting Parties shall limit or extend the time by mutual agreement. Taj report shall be prepared in triph; cate; one copy shall be presented t< each Government and Aβ third retained by the Commission for ltt ' Tlie'High Contracting Parties re. Berve the right to act independently on the subject matter of the dispute after the report of the Cpnj: mission shall have been submitted. There Mβ two points to be notio about this arrangement. Tho count that respected its treaty could not rush into a war. There wou be an interval, more or less prolong? for calm consideration while the Col mission was preparing its report, l< report itself would be an impartial doc ment, and it would be placed before t two nations for consideration. Tlie n tion which chose war after reading t, report would do so deliberately. The advocates of the Leßgno of IS tions would go. further, than the trea went Thev want the contracting parti) who would number -three or more ; ngree to coerce the-parly .that ie us; to accept as final the ruling of tho Co mission. In other words, .they .wo bring into existence an•• mtcrnahon police force, consisting of the armies nl navies of the Great Powers. ;