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Show TEXT OF WORLD " LEAGUE GOVENANT President Wilson Reads Report to Representatives of the , Nations. ARMAMENTS ARE CUT DOWN Powers Will Defend Each Other From Attack Countries Desiring to Join Must Give Guarantees and Be Self Ruled. Paris, France, Feb. 14. The executive execu-tive council of the proposed league of nations, as outlined ,in the covenant read by President Wilson today, will consist of representatives of the United States, Great Britain, France, Italy and Japan, with representatives of four other states. The covenant reads as follows : Covenant. Preamble In order to promote international in-ternational co-operation and to secure international peace and security by the acceptance of obligations not to resort to war, by the prescription of open, just and honorable relations between be-tween nations, by the firm establishment establish-ment of the understandings of international inter-national law as the actual rule of conduct among governments, and by the maintenance of justice and a scrupulous scru-pulous respect for all treaty obligations obliga-tions in the dealings of organized people with one another, the powers signatory to this covenant adopt this constitution of the league of nations: Article I. The action of the high contracting parties under the terms of this covenant cove-nant shall be effected through the instrumentality in-strumentality of a meeting of a body of delegates representing the high contracting con-tracting parties, of meetings at more frequent intervals of an executive council, and of a permanent international interna-tional secretariat to be established at the seat of the league. Article II. Meetings of the body of delegates shall be held at stated intervals and from time to time as occasion may require re-quire for the purpose of dealing with matters within the sphere of action of the league. Meetings of the body of delegates shall be held at the seat of the league or at such other places as may be found convenient, and shall consist of representatives of the high contracting parties. Each of the high contracting parties shall have one vote, but may have not more than three representatives. Article III. The executive council shall consist of representatives of the United States of America, the British empire, France, Italy and Japan, together with representatives of four other states, members of the league. The selection of these four states shall be made by the body of delegates on such principles and in such manner as they think fit. Pending the appointment of those representatives of the other states, representatives of (blank left for names) shall be members of the executive council. Article IV. All matters of procedure at meetings meet-ings of the body of delegates or the executive council, including the appointment ap-pointment of committees to investigate investi-gate particular matters, shall be regulated reg-ulated by the body of delegates or the executive council and may be decided de-cided by a majority of the states represented rep-resented at the meeting. The first meeting of the body of delegates and the executive council shall be summoned by the President of the United States of America. Article V. The permanent secretariat of the league shall be established at (blank) which shall constitute the seat of the league. The secretariat shall comprise com-prise such secretaries and staff as may be required, under the general direction direc-tion and control of a secretary general of the league, who shall be chosen by the executive council ; the secretariat shall be appointed by the secretary general subject to confirmation by the executive council. The expenses of the secretariat shall be borne by the states members of the league In accordance with the apportionment ap-portionment of the expenses of the international in-ternational bureau of the. Universal Postal union. Article VI. Representatives of the high contracting contract-ing parties and officials of the league when engaged in the business of the league shall enjoy diplomatic privileges priv-ileges and immunities and the buildings build-ings occupied by the league or its officials of-ficials or by representatives attending its meetings shall enjoy the benefits of extra territoriality. Article VII. Admission to the league of states not signatories to the covenant and not named In the protocol as states to be invited to adhere to the covenant, requires the assent of not less than I two-thirds of the states represented in the body of delegates, and shall he limited to fully self-governing countries, coun-tries, including dominions and colonies. Xo state shall be admitted to the league unless it Is able to give effective guarantees of its sincere intention to observe its International obligations, and unless It shall conform to such principles as may be prescribed by the tary forces and armaments. Article VIII. The high contracting parties recognize recog-nize the principle that the maintenance mainte-nance of peace will require the reduction reduc-tion of national armament to the lowest low-est point consistent with national safety and the enforcement by common consent of international obligations, having special regard to the geographical geograph-ical situation and circumstances of each state; and the executive council coun-cil shall fuf nulate plans for effecting such reduction. The executive council shall also determine de-termine for the consideration and action ac-tion of the several governments what military equipment and armament is fair and reasonable in proportion to the scale of forces laid down in the program of disarmament; and these limits, when adopted, shall not be exceeded ex-ceeded without the permission of the executive council. The high contracting parties agree that the manufacture by private enterprise enter-prise of munitions and implements of war lends itself to grave objections, and direct the executive council to advise how the evil effects attendant upon such manufacture can be prevented, prevent-ed, due regard being had to the necessities ne-cessities of these countries which are not able to manufacture for themselves them-selves the munitions and implements of war necessary for their safety. Article IX. A permanent commission shall be constituted con-stituted to advise the league on the execution of the provisions of Article Eight and on military and naval questions ques-tions generally. Article X. The - high contracting parties shall undertake to respect and preserve, as against external aggression, the territorial ter-ritorial integrity and existing political independence of all states, members of the league. In case of any such aggression, or In cfHe of any threat or danger of such aggression, the executive ex-ecutive council shall advise upon the means by which the obligation shall be fulfilled. ' Article XI. Any war or threat of war, whether immediately affecting any of the high contracting parties or not, is hereby declared a matter of concern to the league, and the high contracting parties par-ties reserve the right to take any action ac-tion that may be deemed wise and effectual ef-fectual to safeguard the peace of nations. na-tions. Article XII. The high contracting parties agres that should disputes arise between them which cannot be adjusted by the ordinary processes of diplomacy, they will in no case resort to war without previously submitting the questions and matters involved either to arbitration arbitra-tion or to inquiry by the executive council, and until three months after the award by the arbitrators or a recommendation rec-ommendation by the executive council coun-cil ; and that they will not even theu resort to war as against a member of the league which complies with th" award of arbitration or the reconi- ' mendation of the executive council. Article XIII. The high contracting parties, whenever when-ever any dispute or difficulty shall arise between them which they recognize rec-ognize to be suitable to arbitration, and which cannot be satisfactorily settled by diplomacy, will submit th? whole matter to arbitration. For this purpose the court of arbitration to 'which the case is referred shall be the court agreed on by the parties or stipulated in any convention existing between them. The high contracting parties agree that they will carry out in full good faith any award that may be rendered. In the event of any failure fail-ure to carry out the award, the executive ex-ecutive council shall propose what steps can best be taken to give effect thereto. Article XIV. The executive council shall formulate formu-late plans for the establishment of a permanent court of international justice jus-tice and this court shall, when established, estab-lished, be competent to hear and determine de-termine any matter which the parties recognize as suitable for the submission submis-sion to it for arbitration under the foregoing fore-going article. Article XV. If there should Arise between states members of the league any dispute likely to lead to rupture, which is not submitted to arbitration as above, the high contracting parties agree that they will refer the matter to the executive execu-tive council ; either party to the dispute dis-pute may give notice of the existence of the dispute to the secretary general, who will make all necessary arrangements arrange-ments for a full Investigation and consideration con-sideration thereof. For this purpose the parties agree to communicate to the secretary general, as promptly as possible, statements of their case with nil the relevant facts and papers, and the executive council may forthwith direct the publication thereof. Where the efforts of the council lead to the settlement of the dispute, a statement state-ment shall be published indicating the nature of the dispute and the terms of settlement, together with such explanations explana-tions as may be appropriate. If the dispute dis-pute has not hcen settled, a report by the con noil shall be published, se; tins forth with all necessary facts and explanations tiie recommendations which the council thinks just and proper for the settlement of the dispute. If the report is unanimously unani-mously agreed to by the members of the council other than the parties to the dispute, dis-pute, the hich contracting parties asree that they will not po to war wit h any party which compiles with the recommendations, recom-mendations, and that, tf any party snail refuse so to comply, the council shall propose pro-pose measures necessary to trive effect to the reason. If no such unanimous report can be made, it shall be the duty of the majority and the privilege of the minority j to issue statements indicating what they believe to be the facts and containing the reasons which they consider to just and proper. The executive council may in any case under this article refer the dispute to the body of delegates. The dispute shau bo referred at the request of either party tg the dispute, provided that such request must be made within fourteen days after tiie submission of the dispute. In any case referred to the body of delegates all the provisions of this article and of Article Arti-cle Twelve relating to the action and powers of the executive council shall apply to the action t and powers of the body of delegates. Article XVI. Should any of the high contracting parties break or disregard its covenants cove-nants under Article XII it shall thereby ipso facto be deemed to have committed commit-ted an act of war against all the other members of the league, which hereby undertakes immediately to subject it to the severance of all trade or financial finan-cial relations, the prohibition of all intercourse between their nationals and the nationals of the covenant-breaking state, and the prevention of all financial, finan-cial, commercial or personal intercourse inter-course between the nationals of the covenant-breaking state and the nationals na-tionals of any other state, whether a member of the league or not. It shall be the duty of the executive council in such case to recommend what effective military or naval force the members of the league shall severally sev-erally contribute to the armed forces to be used to protect the covenants of the league. Article XVII. In the event of disputes between one state member of the league and another an-other state which is not a member of the league the high contracting parties agree that the state or states not members mem-bers of the league shall be invited to accept the obligations of membership In the league for the purposes of such dispute, upon such conditions as the executive council may deem just, and upon acceptance of any such invitation the above provisions shall be applied with such modifications as may be deemed necessary by the league. in the event of a power so invited refusing re-fusing to accept the obligations of membership mem-bership in the league for the purposes of the league which in the case of a state member of the league would constitute a breach of Article XII, the provisions of Article XVI shall be applicable as against tile state taking such action. If both parties to the dispute when so invited refuse to accept the obligations of membership in the league for the purpose of such dispute, the executive council may take such action and make such recommendations recom-mendations as will prevent hostilities and will result in the settlement of the dis- Article XVIII The high contracting parties agree that 1 the league shall be entrusted with general supervision of the trade in arms and ammunition am-munition with the countries in which the control of this traffic is necessary In the common Interest. Article XIX To those colonies and territories which as a consequence of the late war have ceased to be under the sovereignty of the states which formerly governed them and which are inhabited by peoples not yet able to stand by themselves under the strenuous conditions of the modern world, there should be applied the principle that ; the wellbeing and development of such ; peoples form a sacred trust of civilization , and that securities for the performance ; of this trust should be embodied in the constitution of the league. i The best method of giving practical ef- , feet to this principle is that the tutelage : of such peoples should be entrusted to i advanced nations who by reason of their resources, their experience or their geographical position, can best undertake this responsibility, and that this tutelage should be exercised by them as mandatory manda-tory on behalf of the league. Certain communities formerly belonging to the Turkish empire have reached a stage of development which their txist-ence txist-ence as independent nations can be provisionally pro-visionally recognized subject to the rendering ren-dering of administrative advice and assistance as-sistance by mandatory power until such time as they are able to stand alone. The wishes of these communities must be a principal consideration in the selection of the mandatory power. There are territories, such as southwest Africa and certain of the south Pacific isles, which, owing to the sparseness of their population, or their small size, or their remoteness from the centers of civilization, or their geographical continuity continu-ity to the mandatory state, and other circumstances, cir-cumstances, can be best administered under un-der the laws of the mandatory state as integral portions thereof, subject to the safeguards above mentioned, in the Interests Inter-ests of the indigenous population. Article XX. The high contracting parties will endeavor to secure and maintain fair and humane conditions of labor for men, women and children, both in their own countries and in all countries to which their commercial and industrial relations extend, and to that end agree to establish as part of the organization organiza-tion of the league a permanent bureau of labor. Article XXI. The high contracting parties agree that provision shall be made through the instrumentality of the league to secure and maintain freedom of transit and equitable treatment for the commerce com-merce of all states embers of the league, having in mind, among other things, special arrangements with regard re-gard to the necessities of the regions devastated during the war of 1914-1918. Article XXII. The high contracting parties agree to place under the control of the league of international bureaus general treaties trea-ties if the parties to such treaties consent. con-sent. Furthermore, they agree that all such international bureaus to be constituted con-stituted in future shall be placed under control of the league. Article "XXIII. The high contracting parties agree that every treaty or international engagement entered into hereafter by any state member mem-ber of the league shall be forthwith registered regis-tered with the secretary general, and as soon as possible published by him, and that no such treaty or international engagement en-gagement shall be binding until so registered. regis-tered. Article XXIV. It shall be the right of the body of delegates from time to time to advise the reconsideration by states members of the league of treaties which have become inapplicable, in-applicable, anil of international conditions of which the continuance may endanger the peace of the world. Article XXV. The high contracting parties severally agree t hat the present covenant is accepted ac-cepted as abrogating all obligations inter se which are inconsistent with the terms t hereof, and solemnly engage that they will not hereafter enter into any engagements engage-ments incorisiPtf-nt with the U-rms thereof. In ease any of the powers signatory hereto here-to or subsequently admitted to the h-ague ! shall, before coming a party to this cove- i nant. have undertaken any obi j gat ion u which are inconsistent with the terms of this covenant, it shall be the duty of such ! power to take immediate steps to procure its release from such obligations. Article XXVI. Amendments to this covenant will take effect when ratified by the sta's whose representatives compose the executive council and by three-fourths of the states whos. representatives compose the body of delegates. |