ABSTRACT

This analysis explores the criticism about the creation of mandates in the League of Nations, particularly in the Secretariat; there, a number of officials questioned the organisation’s stance on this matter. Their critical views showed the crucial importance of the early debates in shaping the League’s nature and revealed the existence of a core group of eminent Secretariat members whose beliefs objected to the principles underlying the draft mandate provisions and the League’s tacit assent in their approval. These opinions highlighted administrative shortcomings in the League’s structure, particularly the Secretariat’s role and the ambiguous attitude of the secretary general, and foresaw the detrimental consequences that the mandates system would have for the League’s reputation. Some Secretariat members, who envisaged a more assertive role for the institution, vigorously challenged views on the League’s helplessness in the international post-war context that have come to predominate in current scholarship.

摘要

本分析探讨了对国际联盟特别是秘书处设立任务的批评；在那里，一些官员质疑该组织在此事上的立场。他们的批评意见表明，早期辩论对塑造联盟的性质至关重要，并表明存在着一个由秘书处知名成员组成的核心小组，他们的信念反对授权条款草案的基本原则以及联盟在批准这些条款时的默许。这些意见突出了联盟结构中的行政缺陷，特别是秘书处的作用和秘书长的模棱两可的态度，并预见了授权制度将对联盟声誉造成的不利后果。一些秘书处成员，