The primary object of the League is the promotion of peace among the nations of the world. With this intent the H.C.P. solemnly pledge themselves to co-operate in the League for the prevention of war by eliminating, so far as possible, the causes of international disputes, by providing for the pacific settlement of such disputes should they arise, and by encouraging a general system of international co-operation for promoting the peaceful progress of mankind.

(1) For achieving these ends the H.C.P. adopt the following measures:

(i) They enter into the obligations intended to secure the avoidance of war which are contained in Chapter II of this Convention.

(ii) They undertake to respect the territorial integrity of all States members of the League, and to protect them from foreign aggression, and they agree to prevent any attempts by other States forcibly to alter the territorial settlement existing at the date of, or established by, the present treaties of peace.

(iii) They recognise the duty incumbent upon the more advanced members of the family of nations to render help and guidance, under the sanction of the League, in the development of the administration of States and territories which have not yet attained to stable government.

(iv) They entrust to the League the general supervision of the trade in arms and ammunition with the countries in which the control of this traffic is necessary in the common interest.

(v) They will endeavor to secure and maintain freedom of transit and just treatment for the commerce of all States members of the League.

(vi) They appoint commissions to study and report to the League on economic, sanitary, and other similar problems of international concern, and they authorize the League to recommend such action as these reports may show to be necessary. (vii) They appoint a commission to study conditions

of industry and labor in their international aspects, and to make recommendations thereon, including the extension and improvement of existing conventions.

Stipulations for securing the above objects are embodied in separate Conventions annexed hereto or in the general treaties of peace.

(2) The H.C.P. place under the control of the League all international bureaux established by general treaties and now located elsewhere if the parties to such treaties consent. Furthermore, they agree that all such international bureaux to be constituted in future shall be placed under the supervision of the League and shall be located at the capital of the League.

2. If at any time it should appear that the boundaries of any State guaranteed by Article I (i), (ii) do not conform to the requirements of the situation, the League shall take the matter under consideration and may recommend to the parties affected any modification which it may think necessary. If such recommendation is rejected by the parties affected, the States members of the League shall, so far as the territory in question is concerned, cease to be under the obligation to protect the territory in question from forcible aggression by other States, imposed upon them by the above provision.

3. The H.C.P. agree to accept as the basis of the organization of the League the provisions contained in the following articles.

4. A General Conference of the League shall be held within six months of the date when the present Convention comes into force, and similar conferences shall be held from time to time as occasion may require, and in any case at intervals of not more than four years.

A General Conference of the League shall be composed of responsible representatives of the States members of the League.

The meetings of the General Conference of the League are referred to in the present Convention as the Conference of the League.

5. The H.C.P. appoint the following States members

of the League to constitute the Council of the League: France, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, and the United States of America. The Council may at any time co-opt additional members. Except as provided hereafter, no State shall be represented at any meeting of the Council by more than two members.

Meetings of the Council shall be held from time to time as occasion may require, and in any case at intervals of not more than one year.

6. The Council of the League will be responsible for ensuring the successful working of the League of Nations, and for seeing that it secures the harmonious co-operation of all the States members of the League.

In particular, it is charged with the duty of watching over the development of the new States which may be recognized by the general treaties of peace, and of settling all differences which may arise between them connected with the arrangements effected by those treaties.

7. The Council shall invite any State member of the League to send representatives to any meeting of the Council at which matters affecting that State will be under discussion.

No decision on any matter directly affecting the interests of a State member of the League which is not represented on the Council will be binding upon any such State unless its representatives have been invited to the meeting when the decisions in question were taken.

8. The Conference of the League shall regulate its own procedure, and may appoint committees for any purpose it may deem convenient. In all matters covered by this Article the Conference may decide by a majority of the representatives present at any meeting. The provisions of this Article apply also to the Council of the League.

9. There shall be established a permanent international secretariat of the League. The secretariat shall be under the general control and direction of the Chancellor of the League, who shall hold office during the pleasure of the Council. The first Chancellor of the League shall be the person named in the Protocol hereto. Any successor shall be appointed by the Council.

10. The Chancellor of the League shall be assisted by such number of assistant secretaries as he may find it necessary to appoint and such further staff as he may think necessary within the limits of the expenditure which may be authorized.

11. The Chancellor shall act as the Secretary of the Conference of the League and of the Council of the League, and will be responsible to them for such duties as may be entrusted to him.

12. Representatives of the States members of the League attending meetings of the League, the representatives of the H.C.P. at the capital of the League, the Chancellor and the members of the permanent secretariat of the League, and the members of any judicial or administrative organ or of any commission of enquiry working under the sanction of the League, shall enjoy diplomatic privileges and immunities while they are engaged in the business of the League.

All buildings occupied by the League, or by any organization placed under the control of the League, or by any of its officials, or by the representatives of the H.C.P. at the capital of the League shall enjoy the benefits of extra-territoriality.

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13. The Secretariat of the League shall be established This City shall constitute the capital of the League. The meetings of the Conference of the League and of the Council of the League shall be held at the capital of the League, or in such other place as may be determined.

14. Each of the H.C.P. may maintain a representative at the capital of the League.

15. The expenses of the League, other than those occasioned by meetings of the Council of the League, shall be borne by the States members of the League, in accordance with the distribution among the members of the Postal Union of the expenses of the International Postal Bureau. The expenses occasioned by the meetings of the Council of the League shall be divided equally among the States represented on the Council.

16. The H.C.P. recognize the right of the British

Empire to separate representation in respect of the Dominions of the British Empire, including India, at meetings of the Conference of the League, and also at meetings of the Council, at which matters affecting any particular Dominion are under discussion.

CHAPTER II.

AVOIDANCE OF WAR.

1. Each of the States members of the League agrees that it will not, except in accordance with Article 12, go to war with another State member of the League:(a) without submitting the matter in dispute to a Court of International Law or to the Conference or the Council of the League; and

(b) until the Court or the Conference or the Council of the League has had reasonable time to render its decision or report on the matter, provided that in the case of the Conference or of the Council the time shall not exceed months; and

(c) within a period of three months after the rendering of the decision or the report, including for this purpose a majority report, or after the expiration of the reasonable period referred to in (b);

and also that it will not go to war with another State member of the League which complies with the decision of the Court or, subject to Article 9, with the recommendations of the Conference or of the Council.

2. If there should arise between States members of the League any dispute likely to lead to a rupture, which both parties agree to refer to the decision of a court of international law, or which under some convention between them either party is entitled to claim as of right should be referred to the decision of a court of international law, the parties or party as the case may be shall inform the Chancellor of the League, who shall forthwith make all necessary arrangements for bringing the dispute before the Court accordingly. All questions of procedure shall, if not settled by agreement between the parties, be decided by the Court, and, pending the