Show COVENANT WILL HAVE TO BEAR RIGID CRITICISM Leon Bourgeois Pleads fo for Unanimity Over Plan PI n of Nations' Nations League Paris Feb 15 In Ia In presenting ng- ng th the views vs of oC France ranco regarding res the covenant covenant covenant cove cove- nant of ot the league of ot nations nation a at yesterdays yesterday's plenary session of or th the peace conference Leon Bourgeois French representative on the commissIon commission commis- commis sIon slon which framed the covenant spoke as follows I r wish to express the deep satisfaction tion of ot all and of ot France more mora than than tha an any other country b because aus she slie I among the countries who t have na mos most suffered to seo see the unit unity of ot our our wll wills f and am of t our hearts hearts- in a n pa passionate ad ad- ad J principle of Qt Jh the 1 of or nations Th That Tha f act of at t faith w we we sha shado shan shall shando do In a n spirit 1 of cordiality d goo good will frill as that of t the committee e. e Und Under r the ethin eminent nt chairmanship of PresIdent Free Pres- Ident t Wilson the committee committed has lies hasI I worked with th all their hearts to attain attal this gr groat at object Lord Robert Cecil has said sald we ie tY now present to the conference and alid to the th world the results of ot our work hut but w wedo we- we do not present it as something that that thatis 1 final but only as the result of ot a an honest effort to be discussed and t to tobe tobe be examined not only b by the conference conference confer confer- ence but tho public opinion of or th tile thc world s for tor Plan We e are arc unanimous In our opinion that this scheme must be presented t to tho the world and It resulted from ou our I deliberation We Ye must preserve th the character of unanimity which Its note not I has h given It We e still sun retain our rights right I when sheia further discussions take place to state more mora definitely our ourI I views ns o on some details Signor Signer Orlando has sal said al how bott difficult It seemed at al the be beginning beginning bf be- ginning to lo reconcile two tuo apparently apparent contradictory contradictor principles that that of or th the sovereignty so of ot nations and amI that o othe or of the limitations that nations must accept ac ac- acI ac- I copt in Sn order to secure the tho reign o of right and Justice That conciliation has taken talen place without effort and w we t I have e demonstrated movement mo a as asSignor I Signor Signer Orlando said by b walking I We 0 rl rise ie to prevent the renewal o oa ofa ot of I Ia a war Wee like that which we have han Ju just justl seen we rise at the appeal of ot all those thos who t have ha fallen to spare their offspring offspring off ort spring the renewal of such an ordeal ordea We Ve are aro persuaded that no war In th the future can bo be limited to a small area The interdependence of ot the different parts and different Interests of ot th the world has line become suc such Ruch no conflict can an be bo limited It I Is that the whole world ma may keep itself from doing that tha we today tollay ha have ordained that right am and Justice must be tho the basis of ot settlement in all tho the conferences In the view vie of ot Just people there are no sma small and no great reat states All are aro and all willbe will wll be bc equal before the principle of ot international international inter inter- national na Justice and in the th e trl tribunal t that at will give II the tho decisions the tho ju Judges will sit sit n not t as tho the representatives 01 or of orone one particular nation but as the representatives rep rep- of ot international right Definite Pledge Made This Is a a. principle to which we are particularly attached All the states In consenting to submit to International International international Justice take at the same time timea a definite detinUe pledge to guarantee to each other t tho 10 Integrity of ot their territories as established b by the settlement of ot the present peace treat treaty and also also Iso to guat- guat on Page pas 2 I COVENANT WILL HAVE TO BEAR RIGID CRITICISM I Continued from Page Pago 1 anteo anted their political Independence against future aggression This is the thc object of ot our scheme I hope the tho the j means which are suggested by It will allow us is to attain our object Vo Yo havo o established a certain numb number number num num- b ber r of ot judicial principles and Ind International international organizations binding the states together binding them to lo a common common I 1 work and binding them thorn to tho the truce truce without which their development de would bo be Impossible These or organizations organizations tho the creation of oC which In is provided provided provided pro pro- vided for In the tho last articles of oC the theco co covenant cO arc are similar to some somo which I have e existed already but which were scattered through various parts of or the tho I world and wh which Ich had hart n never er been heen I I brought together It tp form part paU of oC the common bo body y of or humanity The foun- foun I toun-I j I dation now is laid and wo we are c certain that tho the organizations will lc Ire multiplied multi multi- plied piled and will h help lp humanity mUllI 1 more and moro more to attain Its common alms aims Vo o 0 have havo been unanimous In pro proclaiming claiming these principles and wo we have hav I felt tho the force of oC these theBo principles so sa much that wo w wo have havo no doubt that a strong trong lI light ht will penetrate even Into Int tho the darkest parts that tho tiro light ht ra radiating radiating ra- ra from those principles will find its wa way into lands that seem to bo ho tho the least op open n to It IL Must System m But nut It is not enough to proclaim such lIuch great principles Wo must Organize Or a t system of ot guarantee and a n system of ot action both Judicial and practical Tho plan plait l laid Ud down Is a clear nn and simple or ore one There Is a council council coun coun- council I cil where all the states are represented equally each having having- only one ono vote vole and there Is an executive c committee commit commit- tee which Is constituted on a different principle But oven o in this case caso where I it t has been found necessary for Cor purposes purposes purposes pur pur- I II poses of ot action to give five live votes to the largo powers polders the principle of ot equality has been secured by giving as much touch as asfour asfour asfour I four votes otos to the smaller states Respect Re Re- Respect for tor the the decision given I n by that bOd will berry wUl be bo assured by definite rules the tho violation o of which shall be bo considered considered considered consid consid- ered as an act of or war against all tho contracting states If It ono one state state t It may be the smallest and most remote of or all tho the states states states-is is attacked without justification then the whole of oC tho the league of nations Is being attacked and will resist But we must go further In order to secure the tho execution of ot international al law lair there must bo be limitation of ot armaments arm arm- aments This has been the wish of tho the What hat world for a great many years ears was formerly difficult has today become become be bo- come como possible Our victory has made It possible because it has enabled us to disarm tho the barbaric force that was In tho way of or su such h an nn improvement That limitation must be bc such that no state can be capable of oC prevailing against the will o of the law of or nations but at the tho same time timo each state should I ho bo ho strong enough to contribute to tho the force that will enable the league of or nations nations nations na na- na- na I to impose Its will Thero There has been unanimity upon all these points Two Tiro Point Vital Hal e There Thero are ono one or two points upon which I wish particularly to Insist because be be- causo cause they are connected with dangers that may bo be of ot special moment to some soma of us dangers that may arise e not equal for tor all There are aro special dangers for countries coun coun- trios tries like Ilke France Belgium Serbia and the now new states that are aro in tho the stage of ot formation in central Europe It Is necessary to give gho them special guarantees guarantees guar guar- and ana this has been recognized by b- bythe bythe the tho committee when It states that special special special cial account should be bo taken of th the thu geographical situation of ot and the mode of ot application to each ench state in tho the scale of oC armaments Whore here the tho frontiers frontiers fron iron tiers are more moro exposed It must bo possible possible pos pos- sible to have havo stronger systems of or de defense defense de- de Cense and possibly also greater arma arma- men ments ts This la is oJ nil all right but there Is no doubt that It will put on the tho shoulders of ot tho the nations that happen to be bo In that difficult position a special burden It will hamper them thom In tho the peaceful competition competition competition com com- petition that Is tho the life lifo of ot the world And here again two practical Questions questions questions ques Ques- must be put To give o all nations necessary security tho the principle of ot the limitation of oC armaments must not only I bo he executed but executed ver very fast Cast It has been said and said and no one has said It ItI more forcefully than President Wilson I that that modern war has become a war of or material m that In such a war as os the theone theone theone one we havo have Just seen and such auch as wo we never to see in the future what has triumphed has been science turned Into Control War nr Industries Now ow It Is necessary for us to control control control con con- tho the war warr industries all over the world The rho nations who are aro tho the contracting contracting contracting con con- parties of or tho too covenant co pledge themselves mutually to communicate to each other full Information about their armaments and their theil means of or Production This is a n. vcr very good plan with which I am particularly satisfied satis- satis fl fled fied ell At the time same time I propose an nn amendment which I think I ought to mention I 1 thought It would be necessary necessary sar sary to Institute a 0 permanent organization organization organization for tor purposes of ot Inspection and amid this amendment was not at nt the moment embodied in tho the text We e havo accepted the text as It Is before you OU and antI we now mention that amendment amendment It Is I because as tUo tso whole scheme Is la going to bo be discussed by tho time world It it is better that all tho the points that have havo given occasion for Important observations observations should be mentioned Here Hera is a second point Take a state that violates the international covenant co That state Is supposed to be ben bea a n state of oC war against all the members of the league and all are prepared to compel it to It Its obligations But war waa is not something that can proceed at once especially when the tho question is how to bring together forces be belonging belonging belonging be- be longing to states which are arc vcr very different different dif dif- ferent from each other and rna may bo be at atthe atthe atthe the four corners of or the Ule world l Each ach nation will have havo to wait walt in order to act until a certain procedure is gone through and until u for each particular 1 nation a vote ote has been taken b. b by its parliament parliament and and so on This means leans time and dela delay I And supposing that thai there Is on the part of ot the ag aggressor re sor a will to precipitate precipitate precipitate tate a situation then we must provide I for or tho the possibility For this purpose It would be he desirable to tu have all the I means menus means of or resistance studied and concerted concerted con con- con I action prepared before the oe-i oe oc occasion oc- oc casion caslon arises This would be th the bet be best t I check against an any Ill design I J I IJ If It the would be aggressor knows that resistance Is full fully prepared prepared against an any action such as ho lac con contemplated contemplated tem tem- plated then he will bo lIo restrained Y Where lere on the other othel hand ho knows that no such preparation exists and that sudden action netlon on on his part would encounter no prepared and well thou thought ht out resistance perhaps h ho he would not be he restrained antI and it would bo be extremely dangerous If It your you Ou do not wish to see the terrible ter- ter or ordeal through which the tho world has passed renewed In tho the future we ought to have havo a permanent nt organization tion to prepare the military and naval na means menns of ot execution and make them ready In case of emergency This ThIH has been beer I objected to b by some of ot the members of oC the committee be because because bo- bo cause it Involved some Homo difficult con constitutional con I problems This Is w why hy wo we have ha agreed to t e text without that amendment nt but we think the principle of oC that proposed amendment ought to b be put before public opinion nt at the time same time as the time scheme se-heme to which w wo o have havo agreed I hope that no one either Cither here hero or anywhere In the world will be mistaken mistaken mis taken about m my intention I will not say and in I have o not said a a a- word that could weaken tho time feeling of our complete complete com com- and hearty unanimity We have acted heart for the he triumph of ot the cause which Is that of our conference conference con con- ference the caU cause 6 of oC right against violence rio vio lence lenco the cause of ot right against might We Ye believe that this scheme that Is Isnow Isnow isnow now before us Is s an one Wo We 0 believe in Its lr virtues and its possibilities ties The observation we have ha made on on on- some points will we hope be of ot some value alue in the further discussions since Mince we tive are at the time beginning of or tho the examination of the whole plan Now wo we must at the enc ene express our deep gratitude toward our colleagues colleagues colleagues col col- leagues and our deep gratitude toward President Wilson who presided over our OUI labors in such a competent wa way and with such high spirit an and we wo wish still more to express the time sincere wish of France to see that the great pact becomes possibly with some implore implore- mint ment on th the two points I have mentioned mentioned mentioned men men- the law of nations |