The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 1930. THE LEAGUE COVENANT.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 May 1930, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 1930. THE LEAGUE COVENANT.

Lni'Uj the rat-ideation of the Peace i/act, or Pact of Paris, by practically every important State in the world, the Covenant of the League of Nations, which is adhered to by fifty|oUr countries, constituted, considers the Otago limes, the most powerful deterrent to war that has ever been devised It has not been suggested that the Pact has displaced it in that position Ihc Covenant, however, while it sternly discourages resort to arms for the settlement of international disputes, leaves the way open for a signatory nation to assume a militant attitude in the event of the decision of international arbitrators not being deemed acceptable. Article 12 of the Covenant stipulates that any dispute likely to lead, to a rupture shall be submitted either to arbitration, to judicial settlement, or to inquiry by the Council of the League, and that the interested parties are “in no case to resort to war until three months” after the award has been made. The succeeding, articles have -’the effect of furthering the privileges of the council in deal ng with disputes, but the right of a dissatisfied plaintiff to go to war lemains. The Pact of Paris is much more inhibitory : the signatory nations agree to renounce war n,s an instrument of national policy, ami undertake that the solution of all disputes or conflicts “of whatever nature or of whatever origin they may be, which may arise among them, shall never be sought except by pacific means.” Tt will be seen that there exists a discrepancy between these two undertakings, and at a meeting of the Tenth Assembly of the League the proposal was made by the British delegation that a committee should be appointed to submit a report on the amendments in the Covenant which might be necessary (o bring if into harmony

with the Pact of Paris. That committee lias since met and has submit-

ted to the various Governments con- • eriied its proposals lor the revision nl ilie Covenant along the lines suggested. .It was to this ('Olllllll Lice’s report that the Bi itislx Foreign Secre-->'i.V) -Or AitJiur ile..derson, relerrod

wnen replying to a question by -.Sir .\USieii v. in,an.o: mm, as icportcd in recent oaule news. Air licuuersoirs .slutenient was couched in the language favoured by diplomats when they aie interrogated on tile tioor of the Lira inner, but it may be assumed that he desired to liuinmie tlnjt the ameiideiits proposed were acceptable to Ins Government though it, ol course, “re served trie right of making suggestions lor lnoiliiy mg the derails.” It is imnkely that the “details” so'cautiously role., red to by Mr Henderson will ma.e.ially afleet the conteinplated change jii the Covenant. I lie articles rn

question are trained in a way that makes them intelligible to the secondary school boy, and the amendments, though they mean a gieat deal when the conduct of nations is in the balance, are equally concise. Article 12 reads, in amem.ed torm, as before, wuh the exception that the reference lo a term ol Lin go months is eliminated and the text states baldly that the members of the League agree that they will “in no case resort to war.” The other amendments give weight to tilts resolve. Revision of the League Covenant in these terms is only logical. in view of the obligations incurred by the nations in the Pact of Paris, as it is doar that through its Covenant the League, the most valuable organisation lor the preservation of pea e among the nations, should be vested with authority, as represented in the obligation upon its members at least - qua! to diat exerted through any other international instrument of which the purpose is to discourage war. When the time comes, m the course of two or three months, l'or the League members to .signify their assent to the amendments now under discussion, it may be assumed that tlie.se will he approved, since approval does not increase the obligations of signatories of the Pact of Paris, hut unquestionably removes the technical diflerences in the two pacific documents as they at present stand.