The Courier-Journal (April 19, 1946)
League of Nations dies, willing its assets to U.N.
GENEVA (AP, April 18) – The League of Nations, created to preserve peace after a world cataclysm, expired tonight and willed to the United Nations its physical assets in the hope that the new organization might succeed where the League had failed.
It had lived 26 years.
Delegates from 34 nations, outnumbered by spectators in the galleries, witnessed the death of first major peace organization of the 20th century.
Quietly, the delegates answered “Yes” to a roll call on a motion providing that “with effect from the day following the close of the present session of the Assembly, the League of Nations shall cease to exist except for the sole purpose of the liquidation of its affairs.”
Last session ends
At 5:43 p.m., Carl J. Hambro of Norway, president of the Assembly, pounded his gavel and solemnly announced: “I declare the 21st and last session of the General Assembly of the League of Nations closed.”
Thus ended the life of the peace organization conceived largely by President Wilson, but never joined by the United States.
Its legal existence dated from the entry into force of the Treaty of Versailles on January 10, 1920.
The nostalgic formalities of terminating the League were interrupted only with a problem that is the heritage of the century’s second great peace effort – the United Nations.
Egyptian objects
Mahmoud Mohamed Aldarwiche, the Egyptian delegate, abstained from voting on a resolution that pointed out that present League members with mandated territories have declared they will continue to administer these countries as mandates until they are placed under trusteeship of the United Nations.
“It is the view of my government,” said Aldarwiche, “that mandates have terminated with the dissolution of the League of Nations, and that insofar as Palestine is concerned there should be no question of putting it under trusteeship.”
Egypt feels, he added, that Palestine has reached a stage “where it should no longer continue under mandate of trusteeship. Her development is not behind that of Syria, Lebanon, Iraq or Transjordan, who have won independence.”
Treaties turned over
Hambro told Aldarwiche the United Nations probably would discuss the matter in September.
One of the League’s final acts was to turn over to the United Nations thousands of treaty texts.
In physical assets the United Nations will inherit property valued at $11,700,000. These include the League palace, other real estate and the League’s stock of paper, furniture, typewriters and similar equipment.
The League confirmed Sean Lester of Ireland as secretary-general as from 1940 and Seymour Jacklin of South Africa as treasurer from 1944. They will continue to serve until the last of the League’s affairs are liquidated.
