The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, April 7, 1919, Page 5

& % =P b ¢ “« Ll * ' * - ?i‘ \* a V& - 5 W A z:.; 9> * 2 ) [ 5 i £ ‘_,>Q | LRSS P y;}‘.:i" " providing for the direct League of Nations Needs an Ass¢mbly Peoples, Not Governments Only, Must Be Represented, Says Noted Authority —Old-Fashioned Tactics Will Throw Control to the Radicals Mr, Norman Angell is well known both in Europe and America as a newspaper editor and correspondent and even more as an author of books on international questions. The central theme of the seven great books he has to his credit is the elimination of war. He is probably the most powerful writer in the world against secret treaties, militarism, im- perialism and kindred causes of war, and was in the fight long befggsfhe great war broke out. He was born in England in i BY NORMAN ANGELL MOST important point for the that the covenant of the league ~of nations is in.no sense final. These 26. articles are merely a draft presented for discussion. A decisive public opinion can very greatly modify this first draft. ' Sir Robert Cecil, one of the leading British advocates of the league of na- tions and a member of the peace conference com- mittee, both publicly and privately almost begs for agitation to strengthen the hands of those who want a better league. ! As a result of many conferences and conversa- tions with 1mportant people here, I am convinced that liberal opinion is unanimous and that "agi- tation should center on the demand for the crea- tion of a representative assembly along such lines that the league of na- tions will not develop in- {0 an immense bureau- cratic union of govern- ments instead of the hoped for democratic union of peoples. Ef- fective popular represen- tation must be insisted upon. PEOPLES, NOT GOVERNMENTSONLY, MUST BE REPRE- SENTED IN A BODY WITH POWER OVER INTERNATIONAL AF- FAIRS. The principle the American Union express- es is in direct contrast to the principles under- lying the federated states of the German empire. In imperial Ger- many, governments, not peoples, were represent- ed. If the government of the United States had consisted merely of the representatives of 48 states, the Union could never have been main- tained on a democratic basis. The amendment election of senators shows the American dis- trust of only govern- mental representatives. SAFETY IN VOICE OF PEOPLE It ‘is our safe- guard that the house of representatives represents not state governments but the majority and minor- ity opinion of a hun- dred million people. Any new interna- tional arrangement must have a similar provision, and Amer- ica as well as her allies must deliber- ately demand now that some body be created in which can be represented all the great partles and ° interests in the vari- ous states of the league. P " A legislative assembly with power to pass inter- national laws would meet now with great op- the people. RN S RSP AT A e S A American public to realize is - . ganized opinion of mankind.’” crowns, kings and plotters. e e T A T eI P O e position as causing loss of national sovereignty. However, power to enact laws is not necessary nor desirable at first. Ample experience with the International Postal union, the Danube commis- sion and the International Institutq, of Agricul- ture, etc., proves that the mere recommendations of an important advisory body soon came to have the force of law. Yet the power to make such rec- ommendations implies no surrender of national sov- ereignty and avoids the question of repudiating con- tracts if nations do disagree with the decisions of such a body. GREAT DEMAND FOR REAL REPRESENTATION If this amendment to the covenant is passed the - proposed body of delegates will have to be re- duced in size. No more than one or at most two per state would be possible. Conservatives who fear the Socialist “Interna- tional” urge that something more safe be substi- tuted to meet the demand for expression to which the Socialist program is one -answer. The last number of the conservative Round Table says that there is no true expression in the league of nations of “what President Wilson describes as ‘the or- This journal rep- l WHAT WE WON i l : —PFrom the Stars and Stripes, official paper of the A. E. F., France This powerful cartoon taken from the paper published by the men in the American expeditionary forces in France, shows the soldier pushing aside the curtain which kept affairs of state from the knowledge of Behind it are imperialistic ambitions, annexation plans, secret treaties, financial influence, Being thus exposed, these enemies.of the people will have to clear out. But the struggle-is by no means over. The story on this page, from the pen of Norman Angell, gives mterestmg suggestions of how the league of nations should be built up and impor- tant points on general European affairs. PAGE FIVE 2 The story on this page concerning the league of nations was sent to the Lead- - er by Norman Angell, who is now' in Paris to report activities there to the progressive press of America. His thought that there should be a repre- sentative assembly fits in with the recommendations made by the organ- ized farmers .recently’ and given to . President Wilson before he returned to Europe. Mr. Angell feels that Ameri- cans are less ingistent than they should be in demanding justice, but Europe is still very far off for us and the censor- ship keeps us from getting most vital news. resents the conservative opmlon of South, Cecil, ete. “An executive ‘interstate council is net enough. The world requires a forum where the opinion and conscience of mankind can find ex- pression, where the chosen leaders of the democracies can in- terpret the thoughts and aspirations of their peoples, and at the same time edu- cate themselves by contact with col- leagues from - all over the world.” Arrangements should’ be made for a periodical congress of delegates, elected by proportional representation, which would discuss the pro- ceedings of the executive council and the reports of the various interna- tional commissions. Any proposals which such a congress recommended unanimously or by a large majority to their home parliaments would be certain to carry great weight with their elec- torates. BERNE CONFERENCE VOICES THIS IDEA A great international Socialist conference has recently been held in Berne, Switzerland. ' Neither Russian or Swiss radical Socialists would attend, as they consid- ered it not a real Social- ist, but, rather, a bour- geois gathering. This conference passed a resolution ~ that the league of nations should be “not a mere alliance “of governments, but a union of peoples.” A trade union conference, meeting also in Berne at this time, likewise sup- ported the demand for a representative body. The International Labor bureau and the Congress of Co-Operative Socie- ties. in Paris have also indorsed this demand for an amendment to the covenant of the league of nations. The present turmoil in all the Russian border states shows that recon- struction can not be car- (Continued on page 22)