ORGANIZATION

The general treaty setting up the league of nations will explicitly provide for regular conferences between the responsible representatives of the contracting powers.

These conferences would review the general conditions of international relations and would naturally pay special attention to any difficulty which might seem to threaten the peace of the world.  They would also receive and as occasion demanded discuss reports as to the work of any international administrative or investigating bodies working under the League.

These conferences would constitute the pivot of the league.  They would be meetings of statesmen responsible to their own sovereign parliaments, and any decisions taken would therefore, as in the case of the various allied conferences during the war, have to be unanimous.

The following form of organization is suggested: 

I. The conference.  Annual meeting of prime ministers and foreign secretaries of British Empire, United States, France, Italy, Japan, and any other States recognized by them as great powers.  Quadrennial meeting of representatives of all States included in the league.  There should also be provision for the summoning of special conferences on the demand of any one of the great powers or, if there were danger of an outbreak of war, of any member of the league. (The composition of the league will be determined at the peace conference.  Definitely untrustworthy and hostile States, e.g., Russia, should the Bolshevist government remain in power, should be excluded.  Otherwise it is desirable not to be too rigid in scrutinizing qualifications, since the small powers will in any case not exercise any considerable influence.)

2.  For the conduct of its work the interstate conference will require a permanent secretariat.  The general secretary should be appointed by the great powers, if possible choosing a national of some other country.

3. International bodies.  The secretariat would be the responsible channel of communication between the interstate conference and all international bodies functioning under treaties guaranteed by the league.  These would fall into three classes: 

(a) Judicial; i.e., the existing Hague organization with any additions or modifications made by the league.

(b) International administrative bodies.  Such as the suggested transit commission.  To these would be added bodies already formed under existing treaties (which are very numerous and deal with very important interests, e.g., postal union, international labor office, etc.).

(c) International commissions of enquiry:  e.g., commission on industrial conditions (labor legislation), African commission, armaments commission.