THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS: Teeth

“A League with teeth in it” has long been the battle cry of those who are dissatisfied with the present League of Nations structure. Last week’s closure of the Fifth General Assembly of the League of Nations at Geneva, in which 55 nations took part, showed that the teeth have begun to grow.

Unrest. It is a fact that, with the downfall of the Central Empires at the conclusion of the War, occurred the downfall of Europe. The whole Continent needed regeneration. What was the new Europe to be like? The signs and portents were that it would not differ materially from the old. France, with enlightening logic, impinged on the cornerstone. “I must have security,” said Marianne.* Then Britain and the U. S. declined to sign an alliance with France to protect her against aggressive warfare. The builders of the edifice caught the cry of France. “Security,” called Czechoslovakia. “Security,” reËchoed the small nations of the earth. “Disarmament,” voiced the idealists. Then the gruff roar of Great Britain rolled out the word “Arbitration.” But the cornerstone remained the only part built of the new Europe that everyone wanted.

A year ago, Lord Cecil became the chief designer of the architectural plans. He drew a scheme (TIME, Aug. 20, 1923), by which nations should be grouped in accordance with their geographical situation. They were then to conclude treaties, promising each other assistance in case of armed aggression. “Pooh,” remarked John Bull, “I don’t think much of that.” “Blah,” grunted Uncle Sam as he folded it up and lit his pipe with it.

The “American Plan.” “Now then, gentlemen,” was the figurative saying of Prof. James T. Shotwell of Columbia University to the Council of the League of Nations last June, “you are mistaken. What you really ought to do is to outlaw war.” Here the Professor’s nine coadjutors clapped a hearty endorsement. The “American Plan” (TIME, June 30), while by no means a perfect instrument, was the first to have any actual elements in it. For example, it:

1) Defined aggression as meaning a concerted action taken by a State in defiance of a ruling or summons made by the Permanent Court of International Justice at The Hague.

2) Made that P. C. of I. J. the executor of the plan.

3) Laid down rules for enforcing, in the first place, economic and, in the second place, military sanctions (punitive measures) without in any way infringing upon the sovereignity of individual nations.

4) Made the plan open to members and non-members of the League.

5) Provided for periodical conferences on disarmament. In the Halls of Peace at Geneva, the American Plan received marked favor; for it had been read by every statesman in Europe worthy of the name, and all found it good.

Fifth Assembly. When the Fifth General Assembly met at Geneva (TIME, Sept. 8) it had many matters of routine to dispose of. There were thorny problems to solve; but all these things were as nothingcompared to the task, which had been set, of drafting a plan for the building of new Europe and the renovation of the rest of the world. Two great speeches from Premiers Ramsay MacDonald of Britain and Edouard Herriot of France indicated that the building was to be in the style of arbitration, security and disarmament. The chief draftsman was no longer Lord Cecil; Dr. Eduard Benes was the man nominated for the post; and his ideas were largely synonymous with those of Prof. Shotwell and his colleagues.

There was already a plan in existence aiming at the maintenance of world peace ad infinitum. This document was called the Covenant of The League. The new ideas, it was decided, should not interfere with the Covenant, but should reinforce it. A protocol to the Covenant was the method adopted of putting the new ideas into effect. It was early decided to reserve the matter of disarmament for a special international conference to be convoked at Geneva on June 15, 1925.

Protocol. All during September, the drafsmen labored on the protocol and then presented to the Assembly an elaborate document of 21 articles—21 teeth that are to make the League’s bite mightier than his bark. Ex-Premier Aristide Briand of France, chief French delegate to the Assembly, asseverated:

“I declare to you, it is the most precious moment of my public life, this in which I stand before the nations of the world and say to them, in the name of France, that she has placed upon the protocol her signature.” Forty-seven states followed France’s lead in signing the protocol; all of them had something high and idealistic to say.

Protocol Analyzed. Analyzed, the protocol is an elaboration of the “American Plan” submitted by Professor Shotwell and his associates. Thus, it is somewhat of a paradox that the nation which has, perhaps, contributed more to the theoretical banishment of war is the U. S., which is not a member of the League. The protocol is based on the principle of obligatory arbitration. Members and non-members of the League can endorse its terms; all become aggressors if they either fail to take their dispute to the League or ignore a League or P. C. of I. J. ruling. The Council of the League is empowered to exert economic, financial, naval and military sanctions against any aggressor nation, member or nonmember alike. The amount of economic, financial, naval or military support to be given by the member nations, in the case of what might prove to be a League war, depends upon the amount of assistance demanded by the Council and upon the amount the member states are able or willing to concede.

Before the Assembly closed, Japan carried an important eleventh hour amendment. The League may, according to its terms, consider matters “solely within domestic jurisdiction” of a state. Thus a state under this amendment, is an aggressor only if it disregards the verdict of the League or has not previously submitted the question to the Council or Assembly.” This means (theoretically) that the U. S. must now bow to the decisions of the League or challenge the whole League Army. “Either there are to be no wars or future wars are to be bigger and better in every way.”

Other business transacted before the Fifth Assembly adjourned:

¶Belgium, Brazil, Czecho-Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and Uruguay were elected to the nonpermanent seats on the Council for the year 1924-25. When the result of the elections was made known, the entire Chinese delegation arose as one man, left the auditorium. They thought that, as China is one of the greatest Asiastic Powers, she ought at least to be entitled to a seat on the Council.

*Allegorical personification of France. Cf. John Bull, Uncle Sam.