The Story of the Great War, Volume 8: Victory with the Allies; Armistice; Peace Congress; Canada's War Organizations and vast War Industries; Canadian Battles Overseas
History
The Story of the Great War, Volume 8: Victory with the Allies; Armistice; Peace Congress; Canada's War Organizations and vast War Industries; Canadian Battles Overseas
World War, 1914-1918
"It is not a vehicle of power, but a vehicle in which power may be
varied at the discretion of those who exercise it, and in accordance
with the changing circumstances of the time. And yet, while it is
elastic, while it is general in its terms, it is definite in the one
thing that we were called upon to make definite. It is a definite
guaranty of peace. It is a definite guaranty by word against
aggression. It is a definite guaranty against the things which have
just come near bringing the whole structure of civilization into ruin.
"Its purposes do not for a moment lie vague. Its purposes are declared
and its powers are unmistakable. It is not in contemplation that this
should be merely a league to secure the peace of the world. It is a
league which can be used for cooperation in any international matter.
That is the significance of the provision introduced concerning labor.
There are many ameliorations of labor conditions which can be effected
by conference and discussion. I anticipate that there will be a very
great usefulness in the bureau of labor which it is contemplated shall
be set up by the League. Men, women, and children who work have been
in the background through long ages, and sometimes seemed to be
forgotten.... Now these people will be drawn into the field of
international consultation and help and will be the wards of the
combined governments of the world.
"As you will notice there is an imperative article concerning the
publicity of all international agreements. Henceforth no member of the
League can claim any agreement valid which it has not registered with
the secretary general.... And the duty is laid upon the secretary
general to publish every document of that sort, at the earliest
possible time....
"Then there is a feature about this covenant which to my mind is one
of the greatest and most satisfactory advances that have been made. We
are done with annexations of helpless peoples, meant in some instances
by some Powers to be used merely for exploitation. We recognize in the
most solemn manner that the helpless and undeveloped peoples of the
world ... put an obligation upon us to look after their interests
primarily before we use them for our interests and that in all cases
of this sort hereafter it shall be the duty of the League to see that
the nations who are assigned as the tutors and advisers and directors
of these peoples shall look to their interests and their development
before they look to the interests and desires of the mandatory nation
itself....
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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