The League of Nations
Hard Work at Geneva
concentrating in the past week mainly on Women and Children and the Opium Traffic. The discussions on the former interest and importance to the League. In the first place, Apart from these Council discussions, which have been the system of rotation decided on last year, whereby States, followed with extraordinary interest and concern, not only after sitting for three years, must stand aside for another at Geneva but throughout Central Europe, the most important three years before they can be re-elected, involves certain work on foot has been the attempt of the Third Commission inevitable sacrifices. Men, for example, like Dr. Benes of of the Assembly to find some way round the iiroblem of Czechoslovakia and M. Vandervelde of Belgium ought always security, since it seems impossible to find a way through. The to be on the Council were it not for the injustice the retention position is simple enough. Most European States will never of their seats would do to other States. As it is they have feel protected against the future unless they are sure of a gone, and it cannot be pretended that their successors will combination of their League colleagues to assist them, as equal them in experience or political sagacity. But it is provided by the Covenant, in case they suffer unprovoked generally felt that principles in the long run matter mere than attack. Can such an assurance be drafted in terms sufficiently personalities. That and that alone accounts for the rejection definite to produce the necessary confidence, and sufficiently by the Assembly of Belgium's request to be allowed to stand indefinite to meet the hesitations of Great Britain, whose again though she has held her Council seat for nearly eight chief spokesman at Geneva has declared that Britain can years. accept no new commitments ? That raises the question of Canada's election marks on epoch in the development of what her existing commitments are under Article 18 of the the League and of the British Empire. Voting at the elections Covenant, for example ; and there again opinions differ is secret, and it is therefore impossible to know which States widely as to whether precision is an advantage or a danger. contributed the twenty-six votes which gave Canada her M. Paul-Boncour, the French representative, is anxious to advantage over Greece, which was runner-up with twenty- send this and kindred questions to the Preparatory Corn- three. No doubt she had all the seven British Empire votes mission set up to deal with disarmament, on the ground that (it may be noted that it is practically only in Council elections you can make no headway with disarmament unless you face that this preponderance of voting-power enjoyed by the the security problem as well. It may be so decided, for it is British Empire counts for anything) ; Germany supported clear that the present Assembly can give no definite answer her, so did the Scandinavian States and the Little Entente, to so delicate and fundamental a question. But quite as and it may be assumed that France, Belgium and Holland Po rtant as any decision that may be taken is the new revela• did the same. One interesting fact is the• willingness of the tion these weeks of discussion have provided of the place the Assembly to see the British Empire doubly represented on the security problem holds in the thoughts and policy of lilac- Council ; another is the desire definitely manifested by tically every European State.—I am, Sir, &e., Canada toobtain a position which involves her far more than YOUR GENEVA CORRESPONDENT.
formerly in European affairs. Geneva, September 17th.
FOR the last week and more the Delegates at the League of The Council, as I write, is trying to dispose of what is pro-
Nations Assembly have been devoting themselves to the bably the most difficult and complex problem it has ever had prosaic but very necessary work of the six Commissions into before it. The dispute between Hungary and Rumania over which the Assembly regularly breaks up after the first week the expropriation by the latter of the properties of Hungarian or so of platform discussion is over. This division of labour owners in Transylvania bristles with unsolved problems at alone makes it possible to have every department of the every turn. The League Council has been asked by Hungary League's work surveyed by Delegates in the course of the three to nominate a judge to fill the vacancy caused by Rumania's or four weeks for which an Assembly normally lasts. Hence, action in withdrawing her member of the Hungaro-Rumanian incidentally, the necessity for each Delegation to comprise, Mixed Arbitral Tribunal set up by the Treaty of the Trianon if possible, at least six members, so that it may be duly to deal with such cases of expropriation. Rumania withdrew represented on each of the Commissions. Small and distant her judge on the ground that the Tribunal had been exceeding countries manage to make shift with a delegation of three, its competence in handling cases which, in Rumania's view, each of them taking charge of two Commissions, for there lay outside the Treaty provisions. The Council has taken the are never more than three Commissions meeting view that it must consider the matter in its broadest aspects simultaneously. and it does not recognize that an imperative duty to appoint In the humanitarian field, the Fifth Committee has been a judge can be laid on it by the Treaty of the Trianon. But that again raises a question : Can an "external " Treaty lay a duty on the League ?
subject have marked a notable advance in public opinion Another question is whether the Arbitral Tribunal- under in that a resolution has been unanimously adopted which is discussion did, in fact, exceed its competence. Even if the tantamount to requesting the Assembly to urge every Govern- Council thinks it did, does it lie with the Council to give a ment to abolish the State regulation of prostitution wherever ruling on that question, or should the matter be referred to it still exists. As recently as three or four years ago it would the Permanent Court of International Justice ? If it is a have been thought incredible that certain Governments would question of sending it to the Court, can the Council do this have assented to a resolution of that character, even if it be by a majority vote in the face of Rumania's resolute opposi- interpreted simply in the restricted sense of abolishing licensed tion, or must there be unanimity, which Rumania's hostile houses, leaving the registration of the individual prostitutes vote makes impossible ? It is neither hoped nor intended
for the moment untouched. that all these questions will be answered by the Council's
The health discussions in the Second Commission deserve findings ; indeed, Sir Austen Chamberlain, who has been far more space than it would be possible to give in a mere primarily responsible for the negotiations, has aimed through- cursory survey of the week's work—so much so, indeed, that out at effecting a settlement by agreement. His own view, it seems wiser to leave them for separate treatment in some as expressed in a trenchant speech to the Council on Monday, subsequent issue of the Spectator. Far more important is that, while Rumania has at any rate made some advances questions than opium or health have been engaging the towards agreement, Hungary has never moved one inch from attention of other Commissions and of the League Council which the position she took up six months and more ago. Against meets at intervals during the September Assembly session. that it has to be conceded that Hungary's demand—which is The Council to-day is a different body from what it was when simply for the submission of the whole question to The Hague my letter of last week was written, for since then the annual Court—is in full -accordance with the methodS and traditions elections have taken place and the outgoing States—Belgium, of the Council,' which would no doubt have adopted this Czechoslovakia and Salvador—have been replaced by Cuba, expedient long ago had not Rumania refused to concur in the Finland and Canada. That change raises several points of suggestion.
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