1938: League Of Nations

League Council and Assembly.

The Council met Jan. 27-Feb. 2, May 9-14, and during the nineteenth ordinary session of the Assembly, Sept. 12-30, 1938. In September the Council and Assembly reviewed the work of the League during last year. Membership was reduced through withdrawal of Guatemala, May 30, and Honduras, July 10; Chile, May 13, and Venezuela's announced intention to withdraw. The German Government, March 18, notified the League that Austrian membership had ceased. Ethiopia abstained provisionally from sending representation to the Assembly. Forty-nine states will then be left as active members. Following Italy's withdrawal (Dec. 11, 1937) and resignation of the staff, the International Educational Cinematographic Institute terminated its activities in December, as will the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law, in 1940. Both institutions, created and maintained in Rome by the Italian Government, were affiliated with the League. The Intellectual Cooperation Organization, and especially the Institute in Paris, will continue the Cinematographic Institute's work. The Assembly elected as non-permanent members of the Council the Dominican Republic, Greece, and Yugoslavia, to succeed Poland, Ecuador, and Rumania.

Czechoslovakian Crisis.

Regarding the European crisis in September, the Soviet representative attacked the League for failing to extend collective assistance to Czechoslovakia, emphasizing Russia's willingness to do so; and the Assembly unanimously adopted a Cuban proposal welcoming President Roosevelt's action and associating itself with the same spirit. The resolution expressed the anxiety of the representatives of the forty-nine states watching the grave political situation and, by emphasizing the need for peaceful solution, earnestly hoped that 'no government will attempt to impose a settlement by force.'

League Status Weakened.

At the initiative of Great Britain, France, and the Soviet, the Council in January reaffirmed its faith in the League system of international cooperation, yet considered the situation of the League's status as shown by its weakness toward events in Ethiopia, Spain, and China and withdrawals and hostile attitudes of various states. Great Britain and some smaller nations, especially Switzerland, Sweden, and Holland, wished to modify Article XVI (sanctions) so as to abolish obligatory for optional sanctions. In general, the British desired strengthening machinery for peaceful settlement by cooperation instead of making sanctions obligatory. The Council referred the matter to the special Committee of Twenty-eight which sat separately Jan. 31-Feb. 2; there, so many delegates unexpectedly supported the present interpretation of Article XVI that the committee recommended the Assembly to leave sanctions intact juridically. At the request of the Swiss Government, and at its assurances that restoration of its absolute neutrality would not interfere with the free working of the League on its territory, the Council in May declared that Switzerland would no longer be asked to apply sanctions. The German Government has promised to respect this neutrality. Similar were the Norwegian declarations, on May 31, that it reserved the right to maintain neutrality in any war resulting from League action unapproved by Norway and, to the Assembly, Sept. 16, that it would decide for itself any action under Article XVI. The Assembly failed to adopt the substitution, for unanimity in Article XI, unanimity without parties to the dispute. As for separation of the Covenant from the peace treaties and collaboration of non-member states with the League, the Assembly decided to communicate its resolutions to non-members and embodied verbal amendments to the Covenant, enabling its separation from the treaties in a protocol signed by twenty-seven states and open for further signatures.

Spanish Civil War.

Regarding Spain, the Council in May rejected a draft resolution to end the present policy of non-intervention, and the Assembly in September was reminded by the Spanish representative that for the third time Spain was appearing before it as the unaided victim of aggression. At the request of the President of Spain, the Assembly instructed the Council to set up immediately a commission of three (Great Britain, France, and Iran) to vouch for carrying out immediate and complete withdrawal of all non-Spanish combatants on the Government side. The commission appointed three neutral commissioners and nine observers who reached Barcelona Oct. 17 and were to report to the Council in January 1939. The Council agreed to receive similarly any analogous request from the Insurgents. The Spanish Government also requested the League's technical aid in providing foodstuffs during the winter for the three million refugees from rebel territory. The report of the preliminary inquiry, published in November, stated the existence of acute food shortage throughout the territory, commended the Government's efforts at relief, and recommended a relief commission to work with Spanish authorities.

Sino-Japanese Situation.

The Chinese Government appealed at all meetings of the League. In January the Council emphasized an earlier resolution (Oct. 6, 1937) that the states with special interests in China should consider what steps could be taken to settle the conflict equitably; China regarded this as inadequate. The Council in May pointed out that use of poison gas has been condemned by international law, but, while expressing sympathy, did little but remind members of previous resolutions urging them to give China any possible aid. By September hostilities had intensified, and at the Assembly and Council meetings China urged immediate and effective application of Article XVII. Concretely it requested application of an embargo on armaments and certain raw materials, the adoption of financial and material assistance, and the sending of a commission of neutral observers to report to the League on events at various fronts. Japan refused the Council's invitation to comply with obligations under Article XVII (for non-members). Thus thwarted, the Council decided that sanctions had become applicable, but that the moment was not suitable for collective action. It further declared Japan's action as violating the Kellogg Pact and the Nine Power Treaty of 1922, and invited League members to support China individually and to do nothing that might weaken its power of resistance. The Assembly adopted a similar statement. Japan threatened counter-measures against any sanctions. Additional funds were appropriated for continuing the work of the anti-epidemic commission through which the Health Committee gives technical advice to the Chinese Government.

Technical Organizations of the League.

The Economic and Financial Organization discussed its work at meetings of its committees July 4-9, when the various reports made clear the close connection between nationalistic policy and economic depression. In October the Health Committee held an important session, which was preceded by meetings of two groups of experts on questions of medico-social policy and on health indices in rural districts in preparation for a European conference on rural life. At the regular meeting of the Mandates Commission in October the Japanese delegate refused to take part. The regular annual report, minus the customary explanation by a representative, was received from Japan, and hence no adverse action was taken. On Nov. 3 Japan broke all relations with technical organizations of the League, claiming that the Council's resolution of Sept. 30, at China's insistence, encouraged individual application of sanctions against Japan.