Post on 08-Sep-2018
Tenth Year, August 13th-58th, 1933,
Sunday, August 13th. 4.35-7.00 p.m Garden Party a t the home of M. Mme Rappard, Cbamp du Bois,
I Valavran. Monday, August 14th.
9.45 a.m. Introductory Lecture : The Organization of the League. K. Zilliacus, member of the Information Sedion of the League of Nations
I Secretariat. 11-00 a.m A Survey of Recent World Affairs. Professor Grlbert Mrrrray, Regirrs
Professor of Greek, Oxford. 3.00 p m. ~ h e League in the Pasf Year. Professar .EViLliain Rapparci, Director
of the Graduate Insti tute of International Studies. Geneva. 8.45 p.m. International Security and Olsarmament. Mr. W. Arnold-Forster, author
of " The Disarmament Conference': etc.
'Tuesdap, August 15th. 9.45 a.m. The Manufacture of Arms and the Arms Traffic. M. Henr i Rotin,
Legal Adviser t o the 33eIgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. S I . oo a.m. Discussion Group on Disarmament : The Problems of Control and
Sapervision. z .oo p m! Pree for excursions.
f{i=-- ,&++P=- The League and Public Opinlon. Mr. E. J. Phelan, Chief "of the DipIomatic Division of the International Labour Office.
Wednesdap August 16th. 9.45 a.m. Recent Territorial Disputes before the League of Nations. Professor
Manley 0. Hudson, Bemis Professor of International Law, Harvard
national Action. 5.00 p.m. Visit to the League Assernbly Hall, conducted by Mr. Frederick
WheIen, League of Nations Union. 6.45 p.m. Modern China : Needs and Prospects. Sir John Hope Simpson,
Formerly Director General of the National Flood Relief Cornmission in China.
rhurcdap, August I 7th. 9.45 a.m. Gold and International ~ e l a t i o n s . ~ r o f e s s o r Moritz J. ~ o n n ; Handels-
hochschule, BerIin. I. oo a.m. Internatlonnl Aspects of American Monetary and Economic Policy.
Professor Frank D. Graham, Graduate Instrtute of International Studies. Geneva.
3.00 p.m. Discussion Group on The Economfc Crisis. (To be held at the International Labour Office.)
4.00 p.m. Visit t o the International Labour Office and informal t a lk on the work of the 1.L.O
5.00 p.m. Reception and Tea a t the International Labour Office. Friday, August 18t h
4.45 a.m. Tbe Wcirld Monetary and Economic Conferhce. MT. Clarencc K. Streit, Geneva Correspondent of the New York Times.
11 .oo a.m. Public Works and the World Crisls. Mr. P. W. Martin, Research Division of the International LaboutOffice.
3.00 p m. Recent American Legislation and Its Effects on International Relations. Dr. A. H. Feller, Instructor. Harvard Law School.
8 . 4 5 Qm. Force and Aiithority in the State System. Dr. C. Delicle Burns, Stevenson Lecturer in Citizenshp, 1~n:versi t~ of Glasgow.
All sessions will be heid iii ihe Glass Room of the Secrelarial o f fhe League o f Nalions unless otherwise indicaled.
\ S e point o f view 0-1 Y 4 m m t * L G-
I presurne you would not wish me t o recouat E"""" L
t he h is tosy of t h e d i s p u t e , nor o f t h e e f f o r t s made at Geneva
t o f i n d a s o l u t i o n , t o persuade a g rea t Power . t h a t - i t s
p l ighted m r d , i t s honoin m d , gndeed, it s permznent
4 i n t e r e s t ~ were involved i n car ry ing out t h e Pact h ich i t h
ilad i t s e l f been one of the authors aa&+-pPked
-,. Nor, I am su re , do you a p c t me t o recnunt
t o you the s e c r e t h i s t o r y of ths d i scuss ions of the Council,
Speciel Asselibly and t n e i r va r ious cmrni t tees . Anyone whose
Business i z i s t o r tp recen t h is government i n i n t e r n a t i o n a l
m ~ . t t e r s is zlweyc pleased t o be given an oppor tun i ty t o
d ives t h iase l f of t h a t r e s p o n s i b i l i t y and t o speak as e.
p r i v a t e indiv idual . But i n doing so, he cennot of Course
forgef that i n t e r r u p t i o n of t h a t r e s p o n s i b i l i t y is on ly
f o r an hou r rw M .
I s h a l l , t h e r e f o r e , coxdine myself t o exposing t o you
some of the motives which ac tua ted the r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s of
c e r t a i n mal l S t a t e s up t o t b e prgsent s t a g e i n t h e Sino .
J ~ p a n e s e c o n f l i c t .
Imper ia l i s t s have always f ound p l e n t y of arguments i n
support of t h e conquest a;nd se izu re of t e r r i t o r y belonging
t o weaker peoples. Japanese diplomacy di6 no t f a i l t
produce such arguments and excuses, but i n t h a t case as
i n o thers , t h e aggressor r e l i e d on i t s m i l i t a r y s t r e n g t h
as t h e f i n a l arg2ment#. J e p n e s e a c t i o n i n Manchuria &&W,
except i n one r e s p e c t , no more immorai t h m t h e a c t i o n of
o the r powers i n t h e p a s t . They m3.y t hemselves
W unfortunate i n be ing J* On a d i f f e r e n t b z s i s because
t h e i r zc t ion took p lace i n 1931 and not i n 1901. The
o u t s t ~ ~ n d i n g d i f f e r e n c e was, of Course, t h e exis tence of
t h e Covenmt, a so lemn con t rzc t between Japan and f i f t y - s i x
personal importmce t o every man and woman i n the world.
I t i e of irnportance t o all countries, whether they a r e
g r e a t o r small, b u t , not unnazural ly , it means more t o
the smal ler and weaker S t a t e s t g n to t h e weälthy and
powerful nat ions.
7 - 2 2 , dur ing d iscuss ions which last ed about e ighteen
months, t h e r e were chmges i n t h e a t t i t u d e s of v a r i o 7 ~ s powers,
aild i t would be f o o l i s h t o imarine t k t t h e s r m l l State 's as
such m a e any e z c l u s i ! ~ e c l a i n t o v i r t u e 2nd cons is tency, < but I think i t v i i l l 2 l s o De evident t o s tuden t s of tbe
quest ion that sma31 S t a t e s d i d , + - ^ - + ~ ~ ~ ~ - t t p t L t
-- -, maintain t h a t the s t r e n g t h and h
s i z e of a S t a t e must not be allowed t o a f fec t the a c t i o n
of t h e Leque .
The League of Nations has presented f o r the f irst t ime 1
I th ink i n h i s to ry . an opportuni ty f o ~ t h e small S t a t e s t o J
take p a r t i n t h e se t t lement of world affairs, i n which,
h 6, i n o ther circumstances , t he i r in t e rven t ion would B? regarded
a s en impertinent i n t e r f e r e n c e w i t h the a f f a i r s of t h e i r
b e t t e r s . But i t would
exaggera.te t h e ex ten t of
be f o o l i s h ami c h i l d i s h t o
t ? i r inf luence The t heory of 1
equ?,l i t y ia c l c e r t a i n
[4 aiid, f o r tos tiroe i n e v i t a b l e phys ica l f a c t o r s w r
/
Again and zgain duringthe long period of d i scuss inns
about the Fa,r Eas tern ques t ion , t he r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s of small
S t a t e s were reminded t h a t t h e i r g r e a t e r b r e t h r e n bad
g r e a t e r r e s p o n s i b i l i z i e s . Their co lon ies , t h e i r r i d e -
spread c o m e r c i a l i n t e r e s t s , t h e very f a c t t h a t t h e y
possessed m i l i t e r y power, made t h e i r dec i s ions of v e r y much
g r e a t e r import t o t h e i r peoples t h a n those S t a t e a whose
con tac t s , i n t e r e s t s and resourqes , and a l s o wnose d i s t a n c e
froia t h e scene of war made zhe consequ'ences of t h e i r dec4-
s ions appear l e s s d i r e c t a;ld l e s s rnenacing. I + t - w u l d neve r , 'C
It i- t h a t i n n e a r l y a l l League mat t e r s -
t h a t is t o say i n nea r ly €CL1 i n t z r n a t i o n a l affairs - no
dec i s ion can be forced ~ t g a i n s t t h e viishes of t h e g r e a t
power^ or against t h e wishes of one o r more of them;
and c e r t a i n l y i n no matter r h i c h they consider t o be of
v i t a l i n t e r e s t , t h e League provides t h e means of d i s c u s s i o n L
/ B u t i f you take f3r example t h e problems of dirarmament
&* you will f i n d t h a t sometimes it i s of agreerneht
betmezn f zur Stazes end r a r e l y -of agreement between rnore
than 8 or 10 which blocks t h e road t o s u b s t m t i a l success
i n t h a t f i ehd . T c - 4 a 1 i t ~ ~ - ~ ~ ~ e s - out /
of t h e 6 States az the a.greed t o a F
plan, a.nd i f the t h e heavily
f o r c e o r t h a t c a r r i e d out . ~t /-.
"stkrer tl%-i--say IhC&T%ian- I u~uUT~ c i ? and
the United were t o a
art i l l e r y ,
a b o l i s h heav
, - I niDntheq i l ec t ion of she man- a r m s . But if
t h e r e is this' ques t ion of what I call@@ t h e phys ica l
facfsrf: t h e r e is another s i d e . I n t h i s nea o r g a n i s a t i o n ,
we hzve Seen t he p a r t which c a n ' b e played by t h e hones t ,
t h e i n c o r m ~ t i b l e , t h e courageous m d i m g a r t i a l s ta tesman,
even though he rep rasen t s a small andweak country. I
r e c a l l t o your minds t h t namaof Nznsen arid Brant ing.
"1 &x.s--
4 '&
%he Covenant i s vc ry f a c f r s n be ing a p e r f i c t i n i ~ r u m e n t , but
c e r t a i n i n ~ e l ~ l a b l e p r i n c i p l e s f o r the f u t u r e of t h e w m l d
have been t h e r e i n dec lared and a t t e s t e d , acnd i f S t a t e s ,
g ree t o r small , which have so a t t e s t e d , f a i l t o apply
t hose pr i n c i p l e s e i t her t hrough weaknes s o r t hrough
greed and s e l f - i n t e r e s t , t hey can at i e a s t be p i l l o r i e d ,
they can be put i n t o the dock, t h e y can be denounced
before t h e i r o m people and before t h e world, and t h e
world can b r i n g i n its formal arid-solemn v e r d i c t of pilt.
It is a l so t r u e t h a t t h e Cove-;nt provides the p ~ s s i b i l i t y
of punishziient, but t o d e a l wi th t n a t q u e s t i o n a lone in its
l e g a l and o t h e r a spec t s would
"
i s at my'disposal. It w i l l , Powever, be c l e a r t o you tbst A
i t i s e a s i e r t o punish a l i t t l e than a g r e e t ,
a l though I cen assu re y o l ~ t-mt i n t h e present circumstances,
when nztional i n t e r e s t s ere s3 interwoven, it is n o t
easy t o secure agreemnt t o punis3 t h e s m a l l l : h
and t h e r e is zlways wha~--
Empha.si8 k s been lard in rnany quarters on -. the
responsibilities of the great powers; not quite so much
emphe.si~ 5aa been l a i d upon the fact that the t y p e of
responsibility r i f e r red to is necessari ly zccozpanied by
zn,ther resgonsibility: t h e grester t he pirrer, the greze't
t he resp~nsibility for seeing t h a t thz Covenant fs m e "' J - ) . 2A; b ,
l e s s . It is t r u e t h a t i n t h e czse of o n f l i c tf,
t h e i r f r o n t i e r s may be saf e, ~ n d the p ropor t ion of
immediate economic d is turbance w i l l be much l e s s ; but
if t h e p r i n c i p l e s of the Leegue, t o t h e ex ten t t o which t h e y
a r e the p r i n c i p l e s of i n t e r n z t i o n a l more l i ty , &Te t o be any
prot ec t ion i n eny p a r t of t h e world, t h e y must be recpected
znd, if necesszry, enforced w i t h 811 t h e f a c t o r s 0-f each < of t n e nor ld . r w ~ F- =<
-t+pe-9 U The i n t e r e s t of the smzll S t a t e s i n .such a f f a i r s ' is f i b$
no mems an acadeolic i n t e r e s t , but t h e y a r e a l s o i n a
s p e c i e l way ca.l led upon t o maintzin 2nd t o edvocete t h e
d rnain~enance of t n o s e p r i n c i g l e o which tke hope o f t;?e
world 2nd o f t h a t o rgan i sa t ion mhich c ~ n t a i n s at l e a s t
a promise f o r t h e establ ishment of peace and j u s t i c e and
t h e replacement o f t he p r i n c i p l e of f o r c e
Smzil S t a t e s wno cher ished t h e i r
aga ins t a b s o r ~ t i o n o r canquest t o t h e i r lest man, and yet
- be comparztively e a s i l y overwhelmed by e g r e a t
Pomer. The world h z ~ always conderpned such cr imes, but ve ry
r z r e l y b s anything been done t o prevent them u n l e s s such
e c t i o n threecened t he i n t e r e s t E of anot her great Pomer.
sornething more, than a l i t t l e morzl indign&tion and t h i s h r e s p o n s i b i l i t y ar,d t h i s i n t e r e s t are t o them as importznt
as t h e responsibi l i t@anid i n t e r e s t f of t h e g r e a t pomers o f the
m d * -wm?WI. B = t i n seeking t o p r o t e c t t h i s i n t e r e s t , t h e y a r e
not a c t i n g cont rery t o the r e a l i n t e r e e t s of t h e big
nat ions . The common people of t h e world, whether t h e y are
T C " 3 i a J 1 , have i n r e a l i t y t h e same i n t e r e s t s . They +
&W want t h e i r c h i l d r e n t o grow up f r e e d from t h e t h r e a t of t h e
E-
c r u e l end brutal w a t e of md weal th which w a r e n t a i l s .
They wuit t h e whole f o r c e of the 'nat ions t o be used bo th
Thi s brings me t3 another consideration. E a r l y in t h e
d ispute between the t w o grect pouzltriea in t he Fer-East,
i$ wes painted out thrr?; there were not mere ly two parties
to t h a t dispute; tba t the League of Nations ivself was
e t h i r d party, and t k t I t ms not merely 2 question of
es t~bl i sh ing tlne facts OT of conz2aring the actians of
e f t h e s party, o r of acsessing tB ,biame or of speaking at
Council or Assembly 6n behalf of u m ' s own S t a t e 2nd its
i r i t e r ~ s t s . Tne League of Nations wss as auch z. par ty
r;c t i i e a i ~ p c t e es e i t h e r China or JaPan. It, t o o , m s
zt tacked; t h e League b 2 3 i z ~ cbl4gat ions an2 i t s r i gh t s
as w e l l as t3.e t ~ i o peoples engaged in
unfr,ir t o siigges¿ t h a t t h i ~ p o F ~ t 05 viev was ~ v e r l o 3 k e d
by the Great S t a t e s . I would emphsise- t h a t at one b-
time or another throughout t h e 10% disQucsions, t h e
r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s of t h e more a c t i v e of the smbll S t a t e s
found t h m e l v e s P i n agreement wi th one
or another of t h e g rea t S t a t e s , and o c c z s i o m l l y w i t h
them z l l . But so f a r a s t h e Co7~ncil is concerned, I t u n k
it i s not u n f a i r t o ernphasise t h a t small S t a t e s wb-ich a r e
& e lec ted by t h e Assembly k v e a s p e c i q l mandate.
3 r . q ~,h-pndWhave alvra~s m i n t a ined rt
t M t t h w e l e c t i o n gives them a s p e c i e l duty t o ward t h e
i n t e r e s t s s i ~ i c h a r e comon t o t h e i r e l e c t o r s , 4
Ey f r i e n d and colleague Er. Coyne, who is unfortuziately,
confined t o bed said to me y e s t e r d z y how so r ry he was tha t he
was unable t o be present t o say f a r e n e l l t o me tonight . I
Save no doubt tha t xr. &yne '& :-t purest m-d
mos t respectful, As he nzs unable t o be present he saiC? that
as I would have t o s p e ~ k tonight he would mite t h e speech f o r
me . Sure enough 1 g o t a bulky manuscript thiß rnorning and
assumed t h a t all my nervousness and worry about having to speak
mould have vanished. Unfortunately, however, I have left the
manuscript in my o f f i c e , Those of you WBO have heara the
pungent Pril~iancies of Eih. Goyne's after-dinner speecnes w i l l
share my r e g r e t . I o n l y remember U$ this mmuscript tfiat Mr.
Coy-le offereci me t w o alternative o$eni~gs:-- one w a s eomething A
l i k e thZs:--- Unaccustome8 as I rn t u public
s-eaking I hall not oncupy time for mure thm a
couple of hours The o t h e r i d e a TELE bared no t so much upon
recollections of his school debäting soc i e ty as on h ~ s obser-
Te ail know t h a t
neither the Secretariat n o r the staif of t h e Labour Office
' - h ~ v e anything t o do n i t h the f r e e appointaent of the Pres iden t
of OUT committees a d our conferences, but we have Seen
occbsionswhen the de lega tes thou-t they nere confsrring an
u n e x ~ e c t e d honour on one o f ther c o l l e a g e s by electing him
a~ t r e c i ~ e n t . Te hzve seen sometime~ # i t h a little s u r -