B.

10. The constitution of the League will be that of a permanent Conference between the Governments of the constituent States for the purpose of joint international action in certain defined respects, and will not derogate from the independence of those States. It will consist of a General Conference, a Council, and Courts of arbitration and conciliation.

11. The General Conference, in which all constituent States will have equal voting power, will meet periodically to discuss matters submitted to it by the Council. These matters will be general measures of international law or arrangements or general proposals for the limitations of armaments or securing world peace, or any other general resolutions, the discussion of which by the Conference is desired by the Council before they are forwarded for the approval of the constituent Governments. Any resolutions passed by the Conference will have the effect of recommendations to the national Governments and

Parliaments.

12. The Council will be the executive committee of the League, and will consist of the Prime Ministers or Foreign Secretaries or other authoritative representatives of the Great Powers, together with representatives drawn in rotation from two panels of the middle powers and the minor States respectively, in such a way that the Great Powers have a bare majority. A minority of three or more can veto any action or resolution of the Council.

13. The Council will meet periodically and will, in addition, hold an annual meeting of Prime Ministers or Foreign Secretaries for a general interchange of views and for a review of the general policies of the League. It will appoint a permanent secretariat and staff, and will appoint joint committees for the study and coördination of the international questions with which the Council deals, or questions likely to lead to international disputes. It will also take the necessary steps for keeping up proper liaison, not only with the Foreign Offices of the constituent Governments, but also with the mandataries

acting on behalf of the League in various parts of the world.

14. Its functions will be:

(a) to take executive action or control in regard to the matters set forth in Section A or under any international arrangements or conventions;

(b) to formulate for the approval of the Governments general measures of international law or arrangement or for limitation of armaments or promotion of world peace. (Its remaining functions in regard to world peace are dealt with in the following section C.)

C.

15. That all the States represented at the Peace Conference shall agree to the abolition of conscription or compulsory military service; and that their future defence forces shall consist of militia or volunteers, whose numbers and training shall after expert inquiry be fixed by the Council of the League.

16. That while the limitation of armaments in the general sense is impracticable, the Council of the League shall determine what direct military equipment and armament is fair and reasonable in respect of the scale of forces laid down under (15); and that the limits fixed by the Council shall not be exceeded without its permission. 17. That all factories for the production of direct weapons of war shall be nationalized and their production shall be subject to the inspection of the officers of the Council; and that the Council shall be furnished periodically with returns of imports and exports of munitions of war into or from the territories of its members, and as far as possible into or from other countries.

18. That the Peace Treaty shall provide that the members of the League bind themselves jointly and severally not to go to war with one another:

(a) without previously submitting the matter in dispute to arbitration or inquiry by the Council of the League; and

(b) until there has been an award or a report by the Council; and

(c) not even then, as against a member which complies with the award or recommendation (if any) made by the Council in its report.

19. That the Peace Treaty shall provide that if any member of the League breaks its covenant under paragraph (18), it shall ipso facto become at war with all the other members of the League, which shall subject it to complete economic and financial boycott, including the severance of all trade and financial relations and the prohibition of all intercourse between their subjects and the subjects of the covenant-breaking State, and the prevention, as far as possible, of the subjects of the covenantbreaking State from having any commercial or financial intercourse with the subjects of any other State, whether a member of the League or not.

While all the members of the League are obliged to take the above measures, it is left to the Council to decide what effective naval or military force the members shall contribute, and, if advisable, to absolve the smaller members of the League from making such contribution.

The covenant-breaking State shall, after the restoration of peace, be subject to perpetual disarmament and to the peaceful régime established for new States under paragraph (8).

20. That the Peace Treaty shall further provide that if a dispute should arise between any members of the League as to the interpretation of a treaty, or as to any question of international law, or as to any fact which if established would constitute a breach of any international obligation, or as to any damage alleged and the nature and measure of the reparation to be made thereto, and if such dispute cannot be settled by negotiation, the members bind themselves to submit the dispute to arbitration and to carry out any award or decision which may be rendered. 21. That if on any ground it proves impracticable to refer such dispute to arbitration, either party to the dispute may apply to the Council to take the matter of the dispute into consideration. The Council shall give notice of the application to the other party and make the necessary arrangements for the hearing of the dispute.

The Council shall ascertain the facts with regard to the dispute and make recommendations based on the merits and calculated to secure a just and lasting settlement. Other members of the League shall place at the disposal of the League all information in their possession which bears on the dispute. The Council shall do its utmost by mediation and conciliation to induce the disputants to agree to a peaceful settlement. The recommendations shall be addressed to the disputants and shall not have the force of decisions. If either party threatens to go to war in spite of the recommendations, the Council shall publish its recommendations. If the Council fails to arrive at recommendations, both the majority and the minority on the Council may publish statements of the respective recommendations they favour, and such publications shall not be regarded as an unfriendly act by either of the disputants.

DOCUMENT 12.

President Wilson's second draft (first printed draft) of the Covenant, distributed January 10, 1919.

COVENANT.

PREAMBLE.

In order to secure peace, security, and orderly government by the prescription of open, just, and honorable relations between nations, by the firm establishment of the understandings of international law as the actual rule of conduct among governments, and by the maintenance of justice and a scrupulous respect for all treaty obligations in the dealings of organized peoples with one another, the Powers signatory to this covenant and agreement jointly and severally adopt this constitution of the League of Nations.

ARTICLE I. The action of the Signatory Powers under the terms of this agreement shall be effected through the instrumentality of a Body of Delegates which shall consist of the ambassadors and ministers of the contracting Powers accredited to H. and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of H. The meetings of the Body of Delegates shall be held at the seat of government of H. and the Minister for Foreign affairs of H. shall be the presiding officer of the Body.

Whenever the Delegates deem it necessary or advisable, they may meet temporarily at the seat of government of B. or of S., in which case the Ambassador or Minister to H. of the country in which the meeting is held shall be the presiding officer pro tempore.

It shall be the privilege of any of the contracting Powers to assist its representative in the Body of Delegates by any method of conference, counsel, or advice that may seem