representative of each Member state. Sessions public; minutes published; reports to Assembly. Assembly debates annual report on work of the Council, the Secretariat and the International Labor Office. Passes upon reports of committees, expressing its conclusions by unanimous vote in resolutions. Committees The Assembly divides into the following general committees in which each Member state is represented: Constitutional questions (First); Technical organizations (Second); Reduction of armaments (Third); Budget and financial questions (Fourth); Social and general questions (Fifth); Political questions (Sixth). Each Assembly has also special committees, consisting of a limited number of representatives on credentials, agenda, manage ment. The Assembly has also had committees dealing with: Secretariat (First Assembly); Permanent Court of International Justice (First Assembly); Admission of new members (First Assembly); Economic weapon or blockade (First and Second Assemblies); Mandates (First Assembly); These questions are now handled by the general committees above. Principal decisions-Full publicity of proceedings, including committee deliberations. Passes annual budget. Elections of nonpermanent Members of the Council. Approved decision to raise nonpermanent Members of the Council from 4 to 6. Decided upon 12 amendments to the Covenant, for ratification by Members. Final approval of Statute of Permanent Court of International Justice. Elects Judges of Permanent Court, in collaboration with the Council. Authorized establishment of Economic and Finance, Communications and Transit, and Health Organizations. Has supported fights against traffic in women and children and against opium. Authorized campaigns for children affected by the world war, against typhus and other epidemics. Has approved the organizing of co-operation in intellectual work. Has admitted 12 states to membership in the League. Has tackled armament problem in respect to international traffic in arms, private manufacture, control of military budgets, collection and co-ordination of statistics, poison gas, "moral disarmament," regional treaties of mutual guaranty, and the extension of the principles of the Washington Conference on Limitation of Armament in a conference to which nonsignatory states should be invited. Has aired many political questions in open debates. Has focused public sympathy on many humanitarian relief measures. Has encouraged the repatriation of refugees in the Near East and approved the arrangements for permanent settlement of the refugees in Greece. Approved treaty of mutual assistance as adopted by its commis sion. Approved the draft scheme for an international organization to assist in the relief of peoples stricken by calamities. IV. THE COUNCIL "ART. 4. The Council shall meet from time to time as occasion may require, and at least once a year, at the Seat of the League, or at such other place as may be decided upon. "The Council may deal at its meetings with any matter within the sphere of action of the League or affecting the peace of the world. "Any Member of the League not represented on the Council shall be invited to send a Representative to sit as a Member at any meeting of the Council during the consideration of matters specially affecting the interests of that Member of the League. "At meetings of the Council, each Member of the League represented on the Council shall have one vote, and may have not more than one Representative."-Covenant. Meetings-1. Paris, January 16, 1920. 2. London, February 11-13, 1920. 7. London, July 9-12, 1920. 8. San Sebastian, July 30-August 5, 1920. 10. Brussels, October 20-28, 1920. 11. Geneva, November 15-December 18, 1920. 12. Paris, February 21-March 4, 1921. 13. Geneva, June 17-28, 1921. 14. Geneva, August 20-October 12, 1921. Extraordinary. Geneva, August 29-October 12, 1921. 15. Paris, November 16-19, 1921. 16. Geneva, January 10-14, 1922. 17. Paris, March 24-28, 1922. 19. London, July 17-24, 1922. 20. Geneva, August 31-October 4, 1922 (“A” man date). 21. Geneva, August 31-October 4, 1922. 22. Geneva, August 31-October 4, 1922 (Austria). 23. Paris, January 29-February 3, 1923. 25. Geneva, July 2–7, 1923. 26. Geneva, August 31-September 29, 1923. 28. Geneva, March 10-15, 1924. 29. Geneva, June 11- 1924. References-Report to the.. Assembly on the Work of the Council, 1920- ; Three Months of the League of Nations; Official Journal, I-II, for decisions of 1st to 11th Sessions; Minutes of 12th to 15th Sessions published separately; Minutes from 16th Session, published verbatim in Official Journal, Vol. III Members-1920: British Empire, France, Italy, Japan; Belgium, Brazil, Greece and Spain. 1921: British Empire, France, Italy, Japan; Belgium, Brazil, China and Spain. 1922: British Empire, France, Italy, Japan; Belgium, Brazil, China and Spain. 1923: British Empire, France, Italy, Japan; Belgium, Brazil, China, Spain, Sweden and Uruguay. 1924: British Empire, France, Italy, Japan; Belgium, Brazil, Czechoslovakia, Spain, Sweden and Uruguay. Organization and Procedure-President in practice is the representative of the state on whose territory session is held, if it is not at Geneva; at Geneva representatives preside in rotation. Agenda is prepared in advance by Secretariat on recommendations from Member states. Questions referred to Member representatives as reporters, who submit resolutions to Council for unanimous action. Meetings invariably public since 1920. Full proceedings published. Report of its work made annually to the Assembly and debated by it. All commissions and committees, recommended by the Assembly, organized by it and report to it. Principal Decisions-Agenda items in 26 sessions reached a total of 1,097. Approved first three budgets of the League, covering period May 5, 1919-December 31, 1921, subject to ratification by the Assembly. Acts as executive to carry out decisions of Assembly. Among the other matters upon which decisions have been taken, sometimes upon several occasions and many points, are: Administration of the Saar. Accessions of the League. Appointment of the Committee of Jurists to draft a scheme The question of the Aaland Islands. The financial restoration of Austria. The acceptance of new responsibilities by the League. Determination of the eight states of chief industrial importance. The appointment of the Governing Commission of the Territory of the Saar. The appointment of the high commissioner of the League of Nations at Danzig. The guaranty by the League of the clauses relating to minorities in treaties. The representation of the League at the meeting of the General Council of the Red Cross Societies. Relief in Central Europe. The registration of treaties. The establishment of a permanent Economic and Financial Organization within the League. The repatriation of war prisoners. The convening of the Assembly. Measures necessary to give effect to Art. 16 of the Covenant. |