THE PEACE CONFERENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 January 1919, Page 5

THE PEACE CONFERENCE.

t-EACUE OF NATIONS.

GENERAL SMUTS' BROCHURE.

| London, Jan; 10. General Smuts has issued an important pamphlet upon the position of the constitution of the League of Nations. He is of opinion that the Peace Conference should regard itself as the first meeting of the league, and that the prime principle of settlement should be that, apart from Alsace-Lorraine and the German colonies, there should be no annexation of territories by the victorious States. Probably Finland, Poland, Czecho-Slavia and .Tupo-Slavia are capable of becoming independent. States immediately, but trans-Caucasia, Mesopotamia, Lebanon, and Syria will probably require the guiding hand of some external authority. Other countries such as Palestine and Armenia, should be controlled by the League of Nations, which may be properly regarded as the reversionary of the German, Austrian, Russian, and Turkish empires, which failed because founded on the exploitation of weaker nationalities.

The league must control, not directly, l)'it by nominating a particular State to act on its -behalf. Nomination should be subject to a condition that the people in question, having a right to choose the Power which they prefer, should have a mandatory duty, though this cannot be applied to cases where it is impossible to consult the country which is in the forming. Two extremes to bo avoided are superstate and a mere debating society. The league must be practical and effective as a system of world government The council should be small, composed of five permanent members nominated by the British Empire, France, Italy, the United States, and Japan; when Germany has a stable government she may nominate another permanent member To these should be added four additional members chosen from a panel representing the lesser Powers, such as Spain, Hungary, and Serbia, whose nominees would serve in rotation. There would be ten members of the council, which would resemble the Versailles Council. No resolution of the council would be val'd unless passed by a more than two-thirds majority.

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President Wilson, Mr. Lloyd Georga, M. Clemenceau, Signor Orlando, M. Pichon, Baron Sonnino, Mr. Lansing, and Mr Balfour were present Marshal Foch, Mr Bliss, and Mr Henry Wilson attended during part of the proceedings. An informal conference was held afterwards, at which views were exchanged regarding procedure and other questions connected with future peace conferences. —.Vus. NJZ. Cable Assoc.

ADOPTION PROBABLE. Paris, Jan. 10. Tim impression V. growing 'tiers that President Wilson .ini! tlie American dolegates are giving inereasi A attention to the British plans for a League of Nations, which may lie finally adopted. Lord Robert Cecil, who has been the British authority on the league, ih now constantly conferring with the American delegation. It is felt that Lord Cecil's views closely coincide v/ith President Wilson's.—Aus N.Z. Cable Assoc.

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