Navi gation ma- Black Sea ports to be and in fact all port and river navigation material, all merchant ships, tugs, lighters, all naval aeronautic apparatus, material and supplies, and all arms, apparatus, and supplies of every kind. Twenty-nine-All Black Sea ports are to be evacuated. evacuated by Germany; all Russian war vessels of all descriptions seized by Germany in the Black Sea are to be handed over to the Allies and the United States of America; all neutral merchant vessels seized are to be released; all warlike and other materials of all kinds seized in those ports are to be returned and German materials as specified in Clause Twenty-eight are to be abandoned. Merchant vessels to be restored. No destruction Thirty All merchant vessels in German hands belonging to the allied and associated powers are to be restored in ports to be specified by the Allies and the United States of America without reciprocity. Thirty-one-No destruction of ships or of permitted. materials to be permitted before evacuation, surrender, or restoration. German tions on No trans fers of German shipping. Armistice to last thirty days. Thirty-two- The German Government will notify the neutral Governments of the world, and particularly the Governments of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Holland, that all restrictions placed on the trading of their vessels with the allied and associated countries, whether by the German Government or by private German interests, and whether in return for specific concessions, such as the export of shipbuilding materials, or not, are immediately canceled. Thirty-three-No transfers of German merchant shipping of any description to any neutral flag are to take place after signature of the armistice. Thirty-four-The duration of the armistice is to be thirty days, with option to extend. During this period if its clauses are not car ried into execution the armistice may be denounced by one of the contracting parties, which must give warning forty-eight hours in advance. It is understood that the execution of Articles 3 and 18 shall not warrant the denunciation of the armistice on the ground of insufficient execution within a period fixed, except in the case of bad faith in carrying them into execution. In order to assure the execution of this convention under the best conditions, the principle of a permanent international armistice commission is admitted. This commission will act under the authority of the allied military and naval Commanders in Chief. Thirty-five-This armistice to be accepted Must be or refused by Germany within seventy-two within hours of notification. This armistice has been signed the Eleventh of November, Nineteen Eighteen, at 5 o'clock a. m. French time. F. FOCH. R. E. WEMYSS. A. OBERNDorff. accepted seventytwo hours. The chief concern of President Wilson, and the controlling reason for his trip abroad to attend the Peace Conference, was the formation of a League of Nations to insure perpetual peace. After months of deliberation the covenant of the League of Nations was prepared and made public. The text of this covenant follows. COVENANT OF THE LEAGUE poses of the League. A body of delegates. Each high contracting party to have a vote. P OF NATIONS REAMBLE-In order to promote international cooperation 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 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 adopt this Constitution of the League of Nations: ARTICLE I.-The action of the high contracting parties under the terms of this covenant shall be effected through the instrumentality of a meeting of a body of delegates representing the high contracting parties, of meetings at more frequent intervals of an Executive Council, and of a permanent international secretariat to be established at the seat of the League. ART. II. Meetings of the body of delegates shall be held at stated intervals and from time to time, as occasion may require, for the pur pose 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. to be rep in the ART. III.-The Executive Council shall con- Nations sist of representatives of the United States of resented America, the British Empire, France, Italy, Executive and Japan, together with representatives of Council. 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 these representatives of the other States, representatives of members of the Executive Council. shall be at least Meetings of the Council shall be held from Meetings time to time as occasion may require, and at once a least once a year, at whatever place may be year. decided on, or, failing any such decision, at the seat of the League, and any matter within the sphere of action of the League or affecting the peace of the world may be dealt with at such meetings. Invitations shall be sent to any Power to attend a meeting of the council at which such matters directly affecting its interests are to be discussed, and no decision taken at any meeting will be binding on such Powers unless so invited. ART. IV.-All matters of procedure at meetings of the body of delegates or the Executive Council, including the appointment of committees to investigate particular matters, shall Combe regulated by the body of delegates or the investiExecutive Council, and may be decided by a gate parmajority of the States represented at the matters. meeting. The first meeting of the body of delegates and of the Executive Council shall be summoned by the President of the United States of America. ART. V. The permanent secretariat of the League shall be established at which shall mittees to ticular The permanent secre tariat. to have constitute the seat of the League. The secretariat shall comprise such secretaries and staff as may be required, under the general direction 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 Secretary General shall act in that capacity at all meetings of the body of delegates or of the Executive Council. The expenses of the secretariat shall be borne by the States members of the League, in accordance with the apportionment of the expenses of the International Bureau of the Universal Postal Union. ART. VI.-Representatives of the high contracting parties and officials of the League, Repre- when engaged in the business of the League, sentatives shall enjoy diplomatic privileges and immunidiplomatic ties, and the buildings occupied by the League and or its officials, or by representatives attending immuni- its meetings, shall enjoy the benefits of extraterritoriality. privileges ties. Admission to the League. ART. VII. - Admission to the League of States, not signatories to the covenant and not named in the protocol hereto as States to be invited to adhere to the covenant, requires the assent of not less than two-thirds of the States represented in the body of delegates, and shall be limited to fully self-governing countries, including dominions and colonies. No 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 League in regard to its naval and military forces and armaments. ART. VIII. The high contracting parties recognize the principle that the maintenance of |