CO129-470 - Public Offices - 1921 — Page 476

4

the Allied Governments, very keenly desire that, for the peace of the world and the common welfare of humanity, the United States will see its way clear to join its efforts with the other nations for the realisation of the lofty aim of the League,

Although the efforts of the League for the past twelve months have mainly been devoted to the perfecting of its organisation and the strengthening of its foundation, it has also exerted itself for the enforcement of the Peace Treaty and for international finance, economics, labour, communications, sanitation, statistics and like cultural work. The League is as yet at its initial stage of development, and, moreover, the international political situation has not quite recovered permanent equilibrium since the war. It is to be expected, therefore, that the League should still leave something to be desired both in organisation and working, and that each one of the member States may be dissatisfied in one respect or another. It is, indeed, inevitable that an international undertaking of the magnitude of the League of Nations should fail to attain perfection in a single day, but all the nations of the world should feel it pointly incumbent upon them to see to the future develop- ment and eventual perfecting of the League.

•

The functions of the League are performed by the Council, the Assembly, the Secretariat and various expert commissions. The Council met eleven times in the course of last year, at Paris, London, Rome, San Sebastian, Brussels and Geneva. The Assembly was in session for a month from the 15th November last year, at Geneva, the seat of the League. At each of these meetings good work has been done, and what is worthy of special note is that at these sessions of the Council and the Assembly the representatives of the member States have evinced willingness through- out to put forth their efforts for the common cause of the League, instead of confining their attention wholly to the interests of individual nations they represented. It is principally due to the spirit of concert and harmony manifested on these occasions that the League now has a fair promise of life and development.

In regard to the curtailment of armament, provided for in the Peace Treaty, the Military Commission of the League, since its organisation last May, has been making investigations into the practical phases of the question. As a matter of principie, disarmament is to be welcomed for the general welfare of the human race, and the Japanese Government are paying special attention to the question. The matter, however, has very important and complex bearings for each nation, and it is to be apprehended that the realisation of this end may be found impossible unless all the nations act in one accord and in good faith.

The project of the International Court of Justice was resolved upon both by the Council and the Assembly, chiefly on the basis of the original draft adopted by the Conference of International Jurists held last year at The Hague. The plan is now being submitted to the several Governments for approval, and the Court is expected to be established at no distant date. The passing of this resolution is the most important of the results achieved at the first session of the League Assembly, That international conflicts should to as great a degree as possible be settled by peaceful means is of course highly desirable, and the decision to establish an inter- national court for that end is most welcome.

The questions of amending the League Covenant, of economic blockade as the principal means of punishment by the League, and of mandates to be exercised on behalf of the League have each been assigned to expert commissions which have been appointed as auxiliary organs of the League Council. The field of activities of the League will thus gradually be enlarged with time.

Before passing on to another theme. I may be permitted to state that the aim of the League of Nations, which lies in the securing of world peace and the promoting of international co-operation, is quite consistent with the policy followed throughout by Japan, and that it is her intention, as one of the five great nations, invariably to make endeavours, in hearty co-operation with the other Powers. for the attainment of that lofty aim of the League.

"Next the question of mandate calls for a few words. Under the Peace Treaty, which is based on the principle of non-annexation, the former German possessions in Africa and the South Pacific, together with the territories in Asia which belonged to the former Turkish Empire, have been placed under administration by mandate. So far as the former German possessions are concerned, the mandatories and their assigned territories were decided upon at the Supreme Council of the 7th May of last year. On that occasion the whole group of former German islands lying north of the Equator was assigned to the Administration of Japan as mandatory. When. at a later date, the terms and formule of the mandates came up for determination, a difference of views arose between the Japanese and British Governments in the

5

construction of the treaty stipulation relating to the terms and formulæ of the mandate over the former German colonies lying south of the Equator. Agreement could not be reached for a long time. A frank exchange of views, however, between the Japanese and British representatives who attended the first session of the League Assembly happily resulted in a composition of the difference.

While agreeing to the terms of the mandate of the C class as proposed by the British Government, the Japanese Government came to a full understanding with the British Government that Japan should make a declaration to the effect that the acquired right of the Japanese in the former German colonies south of the Equator should be fully respected, and that their agreement to the terms of mandate over these islands should not be taken to signify acquiescence on the part of Japan in any discriminatory and unfavourable treatment of her nationals in the said islands. Accordingly, where the terms of the class C mandate were decided upon on the 17th December last, at a meeting of the cleventh session of the League Council, the Japanese representative made a declaration on the lines of the above understand- ing and reserved for Japan a right to resume negotiations with the British Government concerning the treatment of Japanese subjects in those territories. The terms and formule of the mandates over the former German possessions in the South Pacific having now been determined, the Japanese Government are about to enter upon formal control and administration, in pursuance of those terms of mandate, over the group of islands assigned to Japan.

"Gentlemen. I am happy to be able to state that it is the determination of the Japanese Government to spare no efforts in the discharge of this noble mission of civilisation. in promoting the welfare and development of the people of these territories, thus fully to deserve the trust that the League members have placed in Japan.

As to the revision and renewal of the Anglo-Japanese Agreement of Alliance, the Japanese Government had heen giving careful consideration to the question, with a view especially to its relation to the Covenant of the League of Nations. They entered into conference with the British Government and frank exchange of views on this matter took place both in London and Tokyo. In view of article 6 of the existing agreement of alliance. it was decided to address to the League of Nations a joint notification to the effect that the Governments of Japan and Great Britain had come to the conclusion that the Anglo-Japanese Agreement of the 13th July, though in harmony with the spirit of the Covenant of the League of Nations was not entirely consistent with the letter of that Covenant, and that they accordingly recognised the principle that if the said agreement was to be continued after July 1921 it must be in a form not inconsistent with the Covenant. The notification was conveyed in a note dated the 8th July, 1920. The principle to guide the Japanese Government in revising the agreement is at present a subject of serious study, regard being had to the articles of the League Covenant, as declared in the joint notification. and to the many important changes which have taken place in the aspect of affairs since the conclusion of the present agreement.

That this agreement of alliance has contributed largely and distinctly to the peace, stability and welfare of the entire Far East is fully realised by both nations, and not only is the continuance and preservation of the wholesome spirit of this alliance for a long time to come desired by the most thoughtful of the two peoples, but it is, I am sure, in perfect harmony with the high ideals of the League of

Nations.

Concerning the organisation of the new consortium looking to financial aid to China, I had the privilege at the last session to state before you how a clear understanding was reached between the respective banking groups and Governments concerned, and how the new organisation was fast taking shape. Last October the representatives of the various banking groups met in conference at New York, signed the final agreement, and discussed the policy of the consortium and other details of practice, thus bringing to completion the organisation of the new consortium. While the activities of the consortium in the future are necessarily dependent upon negotiations and co-operation between the organisation itself and the Chinese Government, it may not be out of place, now that the consortium has been completed. to make a remark on its mission. The object of the consortium is purely economic: in other words, what it aims at is to assist and facilitate the economic development of China and thereby to contribute to the happiness and interest of the Chinese people, on the one hand, and to afford equal opportunity for the private enterprise of the nations concerned on the other.

[5870 h-3]

0

473

די -