RULES OF PEACE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1941, 18 February 1919, Page 3

RULES OF PEACE.

TEXT OF THE COVENANT

London, Feb. 14

The League of Nations’ covenant's opening articles declare that the action of the covenanting parties shall he effected through meetings of representative delegates at stated, intervals at the seat of the League or elsewhere, and through meetings of the Executive Council and the permanent international secretariat at the seat of the League at more frequent intervals. Each contracting party, at a meeting of delegates shall have one vote, but no more than three representatives..

The Executive Council shall consist of representatives of the British Empire, the United States, France, Italy, Japan, and four other States selected by the delegates. Council meetings shall be held at least once annually at the seat of the League or elsewhere. Any matter within the sphere of action of the League, or affecting the world’s peace, may he dealt with at such meetings. Invitations shall he sent to any Power to attend a Council meeting at which matters directly affecting its interests ar« to be discussed, -no decision to be binding unless such .invitation is first extended. The President of-the United States shall summon the first meeting of representative delegates and the Executive Council.

Article 8 stales that the high contracting parties have recognised the principle that the maintenance of peace requires the reduction of the national armaments to the lowest point consistent with national safety, and the enforcement by common action of international obligations, leaving especial regard to the geographical situation mid .circumstances of each State, and (ho Executive Council shall formulate plans affecting such reduction. Article 12 says the high contracting parties reserve the right to take any deemed to he wise and effectual to safeguard the peace of each. The high contracting parties are entitled to-draw the League’s attention to circumstances likely to affect international peace or (lie good uiUlerstaiulmg on which peace depends. The high conlraclmg parlies agree i no ease to resort to war without previously submitting unad,justable disputes tw arbitration, or inquiry by the Executive Council, and until three months after the award by I he arbitrators or recommendations by Ihe Executive Council, and will not even then resort to war against a member of the League which complies with such award or recommendation.

Tiro award of the arbitrators shall he made within a reasonable time, and (ho Executive Council's recommendation within six months after submission of the dispute. The Court of Arbitration shall be a Court agreed upon by the disputants.

The high contracting parlies agreo to carry out, in full good faith, any award.

If any of the high contracting parties break or disregard the covenants under article 12, it will, ipso facto, be deemed (o have committed an act of war against all the other nations of the League, which undertake to immediately subject it to the severance of all trade and financial relations, prohibit all intercourse between their nationals and the nationals of the covenant-breaking State, and all financial, commercial and personal intercourse between the nationals of the covenantbreaking State and the nationals of any other State, whether a member of the League or not. It shall be the E.yecutive Council’s duty to recommend wind effective military or naval force members of I lie League shall severally contribute to 1 lie armed force to he used to protect the League's covenants. The high conlractim .parties agree in no case to resort to war wither in financial and economic measures under this article in order to minimise I he resultant loss and inconvenience. It is laid down that the League is cutrusted with the genera! supervision of trade in arms and ammunition in countries in which the control of Ibis traffic is necessary. Article If) deals with colonics and territories which,-in consequence of (lie Into war, have ceased to he under the sovereignty of the State formerly governing them, and which, are inhabited by peoples not yet able to stand by themselves mule}’ the strenuous conditions of the modern world. The principles should be applied that the well-being and development of such peoples form a sac3cd trust af civilisation. The securities for the performance of this trust should be embodied in the League’s constitution. The best method of giving practical effect to this principle is that the tutelage of such peoples should he entrusted to advanced nations, who, by reason of their resources, experience, and geographical position, can best undertake this responsibility. The wishes of these communities must be a principal consideration in the selection of a mandatory. There are territories sucl\ as South-west Africa and certain South Pacific Islands which, owing to the sparseness of population, or their small size, or their remoteness from conIres of civilisation, or their geogra-: pineal contiguity to a mandatory State, or other circumstances, can best be administered under the laws of the mandatory State as integral por-tions thereof, subject to the safeguards mentioned above. Article 20 states that the high contracting parties shall endeavour - to secure and maintain fair and Inf-

mane conditions of labour for men, women, and children in their own and in all countries whereto their commercial and industrial relations extended, and agree to establish as part of the organisation of the League a permanent Labour Bureau.

No treaty or international eiF gagemonl hereafter entered into by members of (lie League shall he binding until registered with the Secretarial of the League, who shall publish it as soon as possible. The high contracting parties accept the present covenant as an abrogation of all obligations, inter se, which are inconsistent with the terms thereof.

The final article (No. 26) provides foi' the effectiveness of amendments to the covenant when ratified by the States whose representatives ■compose the Executive Council, and by three-fourths of the States, whose representatives compose the body of the delegates.