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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 15, 1919)
2 THE OREGON JOURNAu 3te- LEAGUE of NATE Text of the Covenant of Paris in Revised . Form as Adopted by the Peace Conference April 28, 1919 OH PREAMBLE TK order to promote international cooperation and to achieve inter national peace and security, by the acceptance of obligations not to re - sort to war, by the prescription of open, just and honorable relations between nations, by the firm estab lishment of the f understandings of international law as to actual rule of conduct among governments, and by the maintenance of justice and a scrupulous respect for 'all treaty obligations in the dealings of organ ized peoples with one another, the hlsrh onntractinsr nartips agree to this covenant of the League of Nations. ARTICLE I Thai original member of the League- of Nations shall be those of the signatories which, are named in theannex to this covenant, and also such of those: other states' named la the annex as shall accede without reservation, to this covenant Such accessions shall be affected by a declaration deposited with the sec retariat within two months of th coming: into force of the covenant Notice thereof shaft he sent to all the members' of the league. Any fully self-governing state, dominion or colony not named in the annex may become a member of the league, if its admission is agreed to by two-thirds of the assembly, 4 provided that it shall give effective guarantees of its sincere inten tions and shall accept such regula tion aa may be prescribed by the league; in regard to its military and . naval, forces- and armaments. Any member of the league may, after two years' notice of its intent tion so to do, withdraw from the league, provided that all its interna tional obligations and all its obliga tion under the covenant shall have been fulfilled at the time of its with drawal. ARTICLE II The action of the league under this covenant shall be effected through the Instrumentality of an assembly and of a council, with a permanent secretariat ARTICLE III The assembly shall consist of rep resentatives of the members of the league. The assembly shall meet at stated intervals, and from time to time as occasion may require, at the seat of the league, or at such other place as may be decided upon. The assembly may deal at its meetings wh. any' matter within the sphere of action of the ..league or affecting the peace of the world. At meetings of the assembly each member" of the league, shall have one rote, and may have not more than three representatives. ARTICLE IV The council shall consist of rep-, resentatives of the United States of America, of the British Empire, of France, of Italy, and of Japan, to gether with representatives of four other members of the league. These four members of the league shall be selected by the assembly from time to time in Its discretion. Until the appointment of the representatives of the four members of the league first selected by the assembly, rep resentatives of shall be mem bers of the council. With the approval of the majority of ( the assembly, the council may name additional members of the league whose representatives shall always be members of the council; the council with like approval may Increase the number of members of the league to be selected by the as sembly for representation on the council, ; The council shall meet from time - to time as occasion may require, ami at least once a year, at the seat of the league, or at such other place aa play W decided upon. The council may deal at its meet- ; Inge -with any matter within the sphere of action of the league or - affecting the peace of the world. ' Any member ., of the league not represented on the council shall be President Wilson brings to the people his report on the peace treaty and the league of nations with reasons why the same should be adopted. Herewith is presented thetextofthe covenant of Paris that provides for a league of nations as adopted in plenary session April28, 1919 Invited to send a representative to elt as a member at any meeting of the council during the considera tion of matters specially affecting, the interests of that member of the league. At meetings of the council, each member of the league represented on the council shall have one vote, and may have not more than one repre sentative. ARTICLE T Except where otherwise expressly provided in this covenant, or by the terms of this treaty, decisions at any meeting of the assembly or of the council shall require the agree ment of all the members of the. league represented at the meetingv - All matters of procedure at meet ings of the assembly or the council, the appointment of committees to investigate particular matters, shall be regulated by the assembly or by the council, and may be decided by a majority of the members of the league represented at the meeting. The first meeting of the assembly and.the first meeting of the council shall be summoned by the president of the United States of America. ARTICLE YI The permanent secretariat shall be established at the seat of the league. The secretariat shall comprise a sec retary general and such secretaries and staff aa may be required. The first secretary general shall be the person named in the annex ; thereafter the secretary general shall be appointed by the council with the approval of the majority of the assembly. The secretary general shall act in that capacity at all meetings of the assembly and of the council. The expenses of " the secretariat shall be borne by the members of the league in accordance with the apportionment of , the expenses of the International bureau of the Uni versal Postal union. ,t ARTICLE VII The- seat of the. league is estab lished at Geneva. The council may at any time de cide that the seat of the league shall be established elsewhere. Alt positions under or in connec tion with the league, including the secretariat shall be open equally to men and women. ' Representatives of the members of the league and officials of the league when engaged cn the business of the league, shall enjoy diplomatic privi leges and immunities. The buildings and other property occupied by the league or its officers or by representatives attending the meetings shall be inviolable. ARTICLE YLtl The members of the league recog nise that the maintenance of a peace requires the reduction of national armaments to" the lowest point con sistent with national safety and the enforcement by common action of international obligations. , The counciK taking account of the geographical situation and circum stances of each state, shall formu late plans for such reduction for the consideration and action of the sev eral governments. Such plans shall be subject to re consideration and revision at least every 10 years. After these plans have been adopt ed by the several governments, lim its of armaments therein fixed shall not be exceeded without the concur rence of the council. The members of the league agree that the manufacture by private en terprise of munitions and imple ments of war Is open to grave objec tions. The council shall advise how the evil effects attendant upon such manufacture can be prevented, due regard being had to the necessities of those members of the league which are not able to manufacture the munitions and Implements of war necessary for their safety. The members of the league under take to interchange full and frank Information as to the scale of their armaments, tlsslr military and naval programs and the condition of such of their industries as are adaptable to warlike purposes. ARTICLE IX A permanent commission shall be constituted to advise the council on the execution of the provisions of m articles I and VIII and on military and naval questions generally. ARTICLE X The members of the league under take to respect and preserve as against external aggression the ter ritorial integrity and existing politi cal Independence of all members of the league. In case of any such ag gression or in case of any threat or danger of such aggression, the council shall advise upon the means by which this obligation shall be fulfilled. ARTICLE XI Any war or threat of war, whether Immediately affecting any of the members of the league or not Is hereby declared a matter of con cern to the whole league, and the league shall take any action that may be deemed wise and effectual to safeguard the peace of nations. In case any such emergency should arise, the secretary general shall, on the request of any member of 7 the league, -forthwith summon a meeting of the council. It is also declared to be the' fundamental right of each member of the league to bring to the atten tion of the assembly or of the council any circumstance whatever affect ing International relations which p threatens to disturb either the peace or the good understanding between nations upon which peace depends. ARTICLE XII ' The members of the league agree that if there should arise between them any dispute likely to lead to a rupture, they will submit the matter either to arbitration or to in quiry by the council, and they agree in no case to resort to war until three months after the award by the arbi trators or the report of the council. In iny case under this article the award of the arbitration shall be made within a reasonable time, and the report of the ycouncil shall be made within six months after the submission of the dispute, ARTICLE XIII The members of the league agree that whenever any dispute shall arise between them which they rec ognize to be suitable for submis sion to arbitration and which can not be satisfactorily settled by di plomacy, they will submit the whole subject matter to arbitration. Dis putes as to the interpretation of a "reaty. as any question of interna tional law, as to the existence of any fact which, if established, would constitute a breach of any Interna tional obligation,, or as to the extent and nature of the reparation to be made for any such breach, are de clared to be among those which are generally suitable for submission to arbitration. For the consideration of any such dispute the court of ar bitration to which the case is re ferred shall be the court agreed on by the parties to the dispute and stipulated in any convention existing between them. The members of the leaguedagree that they will carry out in full good faith any award that may be ren dered and that they will not resort to war against a member of the league ftilch compiles therewith. In the event of any failure to carry out such an award, the council shall pro pose what steps should be taken to give effect thereto. ARTICLE XIT The council shall formulate and submit to the members of the league for adoption plans for the estab lishment of a permanent court of International justice. The court shall be competent to hear and de termine any dispute of an interna tional character which the parties submit to it The court may also give an advisory opinion upou any dispute or question referred to it by the council or by the assembly. ARTICLE XT If there should arise between members of the league any dispute likely to lead to a rupture, which is not submitted to arbitration as above, the members of the league scree that they will submit the matter to the council. Any party to the dispute may effect such sub mission by giving notice of the ex istence of the dispute to the secre tary general, who will make all nec essary arrangements for a full in vestigation and consideration there of. For this purpose the parties to the dispute will communicate to the secretary general, as promptly as possible, statements of their case, all the relevant facts and papers f and the council may forthwith direct the publication thereof. The council shall endeavor to ef fect a settlement of any dispute, and If such efforts are successful, a state ment shall be made public giving such facts and explanations regard ing the dispute and terms of settle ment thereof as the council may deem appropriate. If the dispute is not thus settled, the council either unanimously or by a majority vote, shall make and pub lish a report containing a statement of the facts of the dispute and the recommendations which are deemed Just and proper in regard thereto. Any member of the league repre sented on the council may make pub lic a statement of the facts of the dispute and of Its conclusions re garding the same. If a report by the council Is unani mously agreed to by the members thereof, other than the representa tives of one or more of the parties to the dispute, the members, of the league agree that they will not go to war with any party to the dispute which complies with the recommend ations of the report If the councn falls to reach a re port which is unanimously agreed to by the members thereof, other ihan the representatives of one or more of the parties to the dispute, the members of the league reserve to themselves the right to take such action aa they shall consider neces sary for the maintenance of right and justice. If the dispute between the parties is claimed by one of them, ajid is found by the council to arise out of a matter which by international law is solely within the domestic Juris diction of that party, the council shall so report, and shall make no recommendation as to its settlement The council may in any case under this article refer the dispute to the assembly. The dispute shall be so referred at the request of either party of the dispute, provided that such request be made within 14 days after the submission of the dispute to the council. In any case referred to the as sembly all the provisions of this
