THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS SECOND ASSEMBLY. ITO THE EDITOR OF
THE SPECTATOR."] 5/R,—The second Assembly of the League of Nations, which met in Geneva on September 5th, completed the first half of its business on Saturday, 24th. Last year the first Assembly moved like an incoherent omnium-gatherum. This year, when the personnel has undergone but little change, it shows itself instinct with internal life. It feels, thinks, and moves in the form of a being conscious of its own identity. Yet anyone would be speaking prematurely who said that the Assembly has gathered within itself enough moral force to secure, unaided, compliance with its findings. Be it said to its credit—and this is the true way in which to enhance its authority—it seems to understand that the League it represents cannot speak in higher tones than those Wordsworth used : " . . . let every nation hear
The highest behest, and every- heart obey."
It seems to an observer that there is a striking coincidence of the. line which the assembly is marking out for itself with that recommended to it by the Spectator when the possibility of its useful apPearance upon the stage of the world was first spoken of. Whether authoritative findings by the organs of the League will impose themselves by their own weightiness— or, in extreme cases, with the force of a counsel of despair, as when the so-called Supreme Council acknowledges that it must call in another doctor—remains necessarily. a most uncertain prospect. But the way in which the Polish-Lithuanian trouble has just been brought one step forward towards settlement by the unanimous expression by the assembly of its disapproval, in various degrees, of the temper shown by the litigants, indi- catesthat the assembly may acquire real authority when failure to reach an agreement and the coming within eight of a dis- turbance of the peace proceed plainly from bad faith and on the part of one or both parties engaged in negotiations. The formation of the International Court of Justice, which is the greatest result which was expected from this assembly, opens up a further vista for laying an action by which bad faith, ill-will, and " ulterior motives" may come by their deserts under the eye of the world. The assembly has shown that it has a common spirit for peace and right. With an interna- tional court to express this spirit in the barest terms of law, the way to settle international affairs as the common man—the man who sits in a British jury-box—would have it done, should no longer be very far out of sight. The balance between Roman law and Anglo-Saxon law may not, at first sight, appear to be quite perfect in the Court, but the presence in the Court of several judges who are not of Latin race may be found to be a very satisfactory compensation. •
In the affair between Poland and Lithuania, the greater blame fell upon Poland. The charge lies upon her, and has not been rebutted, of a broken word. This overshadows her claim. Lord Robert Cecil, in whose intervention candour and ardour did conspicuously go hand in hand, compressed the whole question into that of the breaking of a gentleman's word. And thus the finding of -the assembly resembled that of a court of honour. It has also .been-possible in this Assembly to discern the out- fines of a definite political geography. The Unwillingness of, the French delegation to join in the vote for the admission of Lithuania, a reluctance in which Rumania joined, brought to the surface an understanding of those powers with Poland in a matter in 'Which consideration for the Covenant should have been tieir'SlaTi states of Central Europe Showed an equally ill-timed leaning towards the absorption of Lithuania by Russia. In that way the admission of Lithuania, Latvia, and Esthonia wore the aspect of a protest -of genuine Leaguers against the dawn of separatist movements, which are a kind of underhand contempt for the Covenant. The more the League is enlarged towards the east, the more serious become its com- mitments, and the more will the need be felt for a balancing power such as Germany and Hungary ought to provide; these, in their turn, being counter-balanced by such authority as the United States have the power, if not the will, to supply. An anti-nationalistic international feeling is none the less in the making, such as keeps together the British Imperial.Com- monwealth. The League will afford a kind of barometer, or thermometer, whereby- to -measure its groith -throughout the
world: - - •
That this- feeling is. taking root appears from- the -proposals regarding the working of the blockade -penalty incurred-by
Covenant-breaking States, the only weapons which the present assembly considers to be practically available. It is true that the prospect that the United States may remain, under such circumstances, a neutral State has an unfortunate bearing upon the efficiency of this weapon. The summary wording of.Article 16 in the Covenant induced the Committee to which it was referred to propose a graduated application only of its clauses to a guilty member of the League for the sake of the solidity of the League itself, because its members are in different degrees adapted to, or interested in putting those clauses into force. A new international law seems here in the making to regulate any and every future blockading policy by land or water. The tendency is to give the guilty State a chance. while the small Powers are inclined to whittle down the blockade obligation as forcing them to handle a double-edged instrument. If adjoining the potential Covenant-breaker, some are exposed to immediate reprisals. Besides, they have probably many of its nationals among their population. A visible preference for building out the League principally as a moral weapon seems to demand on that account closer examination.
In regard to mandates, the definite resolutions arrived at. though provisional in form, as the present situation demands, seem extremely satisfactory in the general acceptance of the principle that so-called inferior races, if governed at all from outside, should be so governed for the sake of such peoples, and that the organs of the League shall exercise guardianship over 'them from that point of view. Leanings of the French towards undue nationalization, in the French. meaning of the word, of the-territories under mandate did not find expression in other quarters.
The Anglo-Saxon -delegates, as might have. been expected, we found putting forth their influence as distinct leaders in common sense, practical applicability, and moderation. Though this Assembly is cautious and conservative in some respects, its collective mind is liberal and progressive.—I am, Sir, &c.,
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