Covenant of the League of Nations

Foreign Affairs

The initial draft of the Covenant of the League of Nations was completed hurriedly in early 1919, under the close supervision of President Woodrow Wilson. The proposed new international organization was to be composed of three bodies:

• The Secretariat. This permanent body was to be responsible for the administration of League policies and programs and was to be housed in Geneva, Switzerland.
• The Council. The Council was to be composed of nine member nations. Britain, France, Italy, Japan and the United States were to be permanent Council members. The remaining four positions were to be chosen by the Assembly on a rotating basis.
• The Assembly. All member nations were to be represented in the Assembly and each was to have a single vote.

League members were to be pledged to the following, to:

1. Protect the territorial integrity of other member states (Article X)
2. Submit to the League disputes that threatened war
3. Employ economic and military sanctions against nations that resorted to war
4. Participate in arms reduction programs
5. Assist in the establishment of a Permanent International Court of Justice.

As soon as the provisions of the Covenant became known in the United States, opposition was voiced. Article X received much attention, prompting critics to question the collective security implications of that provision. Few relished the prospect of sending American forces to fight in future European or Asian wars. Other critics believed that the League Covenant would supercede valued traditional policies, such as the Monroe Doctrine.

Other American leaders were more favorably inclined toward the League, but believed it would be unwise to join if provisions were not included for withdrawing at some point in the future.

See also Wilson's Search for Peace.