LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 September 1924, Page 2

LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

[Reuters Tei.eciuams.] PROTOCOL DRAFT. IT BUSHED BY LEAGUE. OKXFVA, Sept. The provisional text of tin* Arhitraion and Disarmament Protocol, which is subject to mollification, has been published. Generally, it Inllows the lines cabled on Sept, Kith. Article I amends Article It! of the League Covenant. It forbids a member ol the League to engage in warfare with number member, excepting in case of resistance to acts of aggression, or when acting with the consent of the League. Article o defines an aggressor as .a country refusing to submit a dispute for a pacific settlement, or to conform to the judicial ruling in an arbitral award, or the unanimous decision ol the* League Council.

The Hague Court will he the arbitrator wlicn international law is involved, while upon the League Council devolves he resp tiisibiliy of deciding whether an act of war has been legally committed, anil applying approximate sanctions. Another Article authorises an invitation to he issued to noil-member nations to submit to tin* provisions of the Protocol when engaged ill a dispute with a signatory of the Protocol. The question of the economic* and financial sanctions to In* inflicted on a wrong doer, shall, under Article 7. he decided by the Kcoimmic and Uiiiancial Organisations of the League. Article S requires the signatories to give the League Council, in advance underakings regaritiug, the extent ot the military, naval and .air forces, which they will he able lo bring into action immediately, in order to eoßoee the provisions of the Protocol, while th.. .-igiiainrie- may provide the whole. a „v p:i lt 111 their military, naval and air lories to as-i-l the victim of ag-

gras-mn. All the costs of operations snail lie imposed on the aggressor. Unle*s a maioritv of the permanent members ol the Council, ami ten other members ratify the Protocol by May 1. ]c 1 • >tlu* invitations to the Disarmament Conleiei.ee shall be cancelled. The Protocol does not take idled until a disarmament scheme is adopted. Meantime the Council is to limit a progiamino of disarmament, which will Ice communicated to the Powers at least two months lielore the ( oiiferenco meets. .. The Protocol will also lapse 11 the Conference disarmament scheme is not carried out within a period to lie fixed by Phi* Conference not conforming to time limit will be excluded from the benefits ol the Protoeol. An appendix stipulates that difleremes iii regard to the interpretation of the Protocol shall he submitted to the International CniuT of .Justice. BRITAIN'S RKS EI’A'ATT OX. GENEVA, Sept. •_>:!. The Draft Arhitraioii Protocol was dismissed by the Armaments Committee when tlu* lion Mr Henderson made some important reservations a- regards the u-c* of the P.iilisli Fleet. The Fleet, he declared, must retain its entire lil.ertv of action.

Air II <*mlorsnii said tlu* Llritisli ku viTimionl w.is <>! thi* opinion tli.il i was incom (‘ivalilo I lint tlu* I>ritisli km piiv would m.iki* war against tlu* lu*a jrjio (divrnaut, or against tin* Protocol Tlu'iufon*. In only a ras wh’icin 11 •* Kmpiro would I t* oujia^c l in warlike o]i**ratioii.s on 11* tli Covonanl wit!i tlu* approval of ill |.va«_r:i<*. Tlu* Uritisii (Jovernnu nt wa sun*, in siM’li a cast*, that it would h neirsxary and dusirahlc. in tlu* jjenara ini-rest. as well as in Uritain's parti cidar inter* st. that iho British l‘h.c* should I * able t » op •rate with I'roedoi: which it napiired to suetin* a raid' success upon tlu* terminal ion of th

sand inns. Therefore. Britain had pro posed a reservation lo the died that disputes arising out ol warlike operalions undertaken by tin* British Kmpiix in support ol the League "I Nation: should not lit* relerrod to the Permanent Court for settlement. ’I Ii is- reservation did no appear to limit, in an\ way. the value of wlial tin* League win doing. \ol- aiv ile-iivil the Permanent ( 'uni | I-1 I me a b ide 1 mil 1 ullilemilitary nt'-ral ion... Tlnoepne. Tln*\ believed in safeguarding I In• liberty ol acl ion of lb* llrili-li Fleet, which, ali ne all, mi: !be safeguarded. They were not acting contrary to the general interests of the nations of t In* world. Til K WORLD'S lIOPFS.

M. Penes, reuniting on the discussion, declared that the Protocol dii not overstep the frame of the Covenant in the matter of sanctions. The signatories to the Protocol undertook noth ing new Ihereanent. though their obli gal ions had become more precise. At eflieaci'ius agreement had been rein •bet hv tlie sub-committee, which resultei in the elaboration of a system leading to the goal of ending war. Their re snonsibility was grsive, bill despite tin dillieiilties. it was Imped that the dis missions of the Third Committee, am afterwards those of the Assembly, am finally the acts of the Government: when il came to t.!:c question of l tic signatures, w mid nut cause disappoint ment to millions of human beings, w u were looking to Geneva with the oik and only word “peace” on their lips The discussion mis adjourned.

BRITLSI I UNCERTAINTY. LONDON, Sept. 2:b The newspapers received the Geneva cables to:; late for comment, hut there are indications that the available reports will fail to clear up doubts mil relieve anxiety expressed widespread latterly regarding the extent to which the British Meet will be committed. Although one report, gives Mr A. I lenders ui as saying that troops and ships will not he placed at the iiis( nl ol tlie Council of the League a- they think fit. yet the fullest report of Mr I lenders ill's speech will he eagerly awaited. I ccausc several cabled passages arc obscure and require elui-iilu-tion and amplification. The “Daily Chronicle.” in mi editorial on the general sttbie.-t says: For Britain it is all important that America. Germany, and Russia are mitsiile the League. To commit ourselves to armed action, not of our own choice, by u body u liich fall* so far short ol representing the world’s civilisation would he a ilill'ereiit thing from obeying the bequests of the "hole civilised woi Id. Therefore. we ought not to L • in a hurry t > strain the flections of the l.caguc 100 homily. INTERNATIONAL LAW AGREEMENT. GENEVA. S-.-pt. The Fir.-t Committee of the League have Sweden’s proposal for appointing a body of experts to prepare a list of subjects of international law. whi.-h are to be icgiilated by international agreement.