THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 26, 25 October 1919, Page 7

THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS

MAY MEET IN FEBRUARY ! DECISIONS BINDING UPON GERMANY EVEN IF COUNCIL INCOMPLETE tj Talemiili-Proei Association-Ooeyrlght London, October 22, II: is improbablo that tho Lcaguo of Nations will meet in Washington before .Tanuary. It is inoro likely to meet in February. After the first. meeting it will, probably bo suggested, that annual meetings subsequently should bo held in tho European capitals jn rotation. In view of tho delay of ratification by America, an interesting point, has arisen, as to whether .Germany could refuso to abide by tho League's decision if any of the signatories of the Peace Treaty declined to take part in the League. An eminent. Dutch jurist have furnished an opinion that. Germany, by . signing and ratifying the Treaty, has waived .tho light fo object to tho League, even if any other nation did not ratify tho Treaty. .• ; The legal opinion is that it will bo impossible to maintain that- the Lcaguo only camo into force, by the'adhesion of all the signatories. There are many reasons why incomplete Council meetings may lie held; but Germany would -have- to .recognise tho decisions .even .of the incomplete Council. Slio might have had grounds for objection if tho Covenant of tho League had been , an agreement apart from the Peace Treaty. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

FURTHER AMERICAN RESERVATIONS Washington,.October 22. The Senate Foreign...Relations Committee has further adopted reservations dealing with the Congressional approval of, mandatories, accepted by the United States and the Shantung problem, Congressional approval' of the Reparations Commissions and decisions . concerning German-American. trade, and Congressional approval of American contributions to the expenses of the League of Nations. The United States reserves tho right to increase its armament when it is threatened with invasion, or engaged in.w'ar, and also reserves.the right not to apply the boycott, as provided in Article "lG—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn.

FArticle 1G provides, interi alia, that should any member of the League resort to war in disregard of other' provisions in the Covenant, "itlshall bo.deemed to have committed an act of war against all other members of. the League, ivhieii hereby undertake immediately to subject it to the severance of all trade or financial relations, the prohibition' cf all intercourse between their nationals and the nationals' of the Covenant-breaking State, and the prevention of _ all financial, commercial or personal intercourse between the nationals of the Covenantbreaking State and the nationals of ally other State, whether a, member of tho League or not."]

(Rec. October 24, 9.10 p.m.)

- New York, October 22. A -Washington message states .that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has approved of live reservations . dealing with Article 10 affecting the Monroe doctrine. the' right of withdrawal from the League of Nations,, and . domestic questions.—Aus.-N.Z. Gable Assn. ("Article .10 stipulates: "The, members of the •League undertake to. respect, and preserve as against external aggression the territorial integrity and ■' existing political independence of nil members of the League. In case of any such aggression or in ciue of any threat or .danger of sni!i aggression the Council shall advise upon the means by v liich this obligation slmll lie fulfilled-!

ASSENT OF OTHER. POWERS REQUIRED. Washington, October 22 The Foreign Relations Coimnitteo of the Senate passed a resolution that, tho American reservations to the Peace Treaty will require the assent of - tho other Powers.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. EXCLUSPJF DOMINIONS WOULD RESULT PROM DRASTIC AMENDMENTS. Washington, October 22. Mr. Oscar S. Straus, a former American Ambassador to Turkey, said, in ( he course of a speech: "If we send the Treaty hack with Amendments or drastic reservation we would compel Britain, in order to agree with them, to excludefrom the League Assembly Dominions such as Australia and, Canada, whoso valiant. armies had contributed materially towards winning tlie war, and whose ideals of liberty-are akin to ours." —Aus.-N.Z. Cable .Assn.

THE SHANTUNG DEAL . SUGGESTION TO FORCE JAPAN'S HAND. Kansas City, October 22. Mr. William White, whom President Wilso/i appointed a member of the Prinkipo Conference, which was intended to arrive a.t a settlement of the Russian crisis .while the war was still in progress./ in a speech said that if Congress would pass . a resolution iirc<testing : against the Shantung deal Australia ami New Zealand .would do . the tame, and llieir. action would foreo England to join. . Thus a- .moral revolt of Englishspeaking peoples of the world would' force Japan to give up Sliiiiitune. Tho Oriental' countries, lie said, will' break out in a war engulfing the world, unless Shantung is given back— Aus.-N.Z. Assn. [The cabled statement that if the United States Senate passed a. resolution protecting against, the Sliflntung fettle- • ment. under the Pence Treaty Australia and. New Zealand would do the same and force Britain to join in.was referred to the Prime Minister Inst light. Mr. Mawey sai.il that there was no warrant fur l.lie statement-,so fa.r os New Zealand was concerned.}