§ Mr. GARRO JONESasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Covenant has been the subject of any amendments other than those mentioned in Cmd. 2300.
§ Viscount CRANBORNEAn amendment to Article 4 came into force on the 29th July, 1926, in accordance with Article 26 of the Covenant. This amendment provided that the Assembly should fix by a two-thirds majority the rules dealing with the election of the nonpermanent Members of the Council, and particularly such regulations as relate to their term of office and the conditions of re-eligibility.
§ Mr. GARRO JONESasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the seventh and ninth paragraphs of Article XXII of the Covenant of the League of Nations is still in force; whether all mandatory powers have fulfilled their terms; and whether the permanent Mandates Commission has ever taken any executive action?
§ Viscount CRANBORNEThe answer to the first two parts of the Question is in the affirmative. As regards the last part of the Question, the Permanent Mandates Commission has no executive powers.
§ Mr. GARRO JONESasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs who was responsible for the views expressed as a commentary on the Covenant, beginning on page 12 of Cmd. 151, of 1919?
§ Viscount CRANBORNEHis Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. GARRO JONESasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, whether His Majesty's Government regard Article XIX of the Covenant of the League of Nations as still operative; and, if so, whether they have ever taken any initiative thereunder to bring before the Assembly conditions which endanger international peace?
§ Viscount CRANBORNEThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative and to the second part in the negative.
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§ Mr. GARRO JONESasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, whether His Majesty's Government has fulfilled its own obligations under Article XVI of the Covenant of the League of Nations or whether the French interpretation of that article, as shown in Cmd. 5072, is accepted by His Majesty's Government?
§ Viscount CRANBORNEYes, Sir. His Majesty's Government have fulfilled their obligations under Article 16 of the Covenant of the League of Nations in conformity with the resolutions of the Assembly of 4th October, 1921, and the proposals of the Co-ordination Committee. As regards the second part of the Question, the correspondence in Cmd. 5072 relates to the interpretation of paragraph 3 of Article 16, not to the Article as a whole, and it is stated in the correspondence that agreement on this subject was reached between His Majesty's Government and the French Government.
§ Mr. GARRO JONESasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, whether His Majesty's Government regards Article XVII of the Covenant of the League of Nations as still in operation; and whether he has any knowledge of international engagements subject to registration which have not been registered in accordance with that article?
§ Viscount CRANBORNEThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the second part, I am unable to say whether the requirements of the Article are observed by other countries on all occasions.