A Handbook to the League of Nations

A HANDBOOK

TO THE

LEAGUE OF NATIONS

SIR GEOFFREY BUTLER, K.B.E., M.A.

FELLOW, LIBRARIAN AND

LECTURER IN INTERNATIONAL LAW AND DIPLOMACY
OF CORPUS CHRISTI COLLEGE

CAMBRIDGE

WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY

THE RIGHT HON. LORD ROBERT CECIL, K.C., M.P.

LONGMANS, GREEN AND CO.

39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON
FOURTH AVENUE & 30TH STREET, NEW YORK
BOMBAY, CALCUTTA, AND MADRAS

1975 .B985

PREFACE

Non fecimus altos nimis et obscuros in his rebus questionum sinus; sed primitias quasdam . . . dedimus.'-Aulus Gellius (Noctes Atticæ,' præf.).

THERE is perhaps no need of an excuse for elementary treatment of the subject of the League of Nations. If the present Paris scheme is to meet with permanent success, it cannot remain an abstraction, buried in Government papers or in legal text-books, and those of the general public who wish to form an estimate of its ability to meet the difficulties that lie ahead, may be grateful to have a short treatise which tries to place the League in its historical perspective. In writing this Handbook I do not pretend to full adequacy of treatment, and what I have written can never be classed with the treatises of the men whose works I often quote, and of whose erudition I have consistently made use. I have tried to keep the ordinary citizen in mind, and I have avoided complications which should properly appear in a more elaborate treatise on the subject. Even when treating of the mechanism of the Paris scheme (Chapters VI and VII) I have tried to banish all detailed treatment except just so much as indicates how in a

normal case it is hoped that the mechanism of the League will work.

I hope this book will be found useful in educational circles, because if the League of Nations is to be rejected by the next generation, as some pessimists affirm, it will be this generation's fault if their successors are then found dealing with a political contrivance unfamiliar to them and abnormal. The curse of much historical teaching of the present day is premature generalisation, drawn from facts unknown to the student, and imbibed by him or her at second hand. I have tried to reduce such generalisations to a minimum. At the same time I have tried to indicate by full annotation how each point herein raised can be further pursued either by the teacher or by the general reader.

In conclusion, may I say how greatly I shall value hints for improvement of this handbook, both from members of the general public and from my colleagues of the teaching profession here and across the seas?

My gratitude to Lord Robert Cecil is very deep. I take this opportunity of thanking my colleague, Mr. K. W. M. Pickthorn, for several suggestions of value.

CORPUS CHRISTI COLLEGE,
CAMBRIDGE.

G. B.

CHAP.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION. By the Rt. Hon. Lord Robert Cecil,

K.C., M.P.

PREFACE

I. THE ORIGIN of the League: The League of Nations-

Its historical background-The birth of the individual

consciousness

II. THE NATION STATE: Birth of its consciousness-Inter-

action with its neighbours-Machiavelli and Grotius.