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the Governments of France and of the United States. It is pleased to find that in this attitude it is in accord with all His Majesty's other Governments. The proposals of the United States Government, by their directness and simplicity, afford to the peoples of the world a new and notable opportunity of ensuring lasting peace. The Dominion of Canada, fortunate in its ties of kinship and allegiance as well as in its historic and neighbourly friendships, and with half a continent as its heritage, is less exposed to the danger of attack or the temptation to aggression than many other lands. Yet the Great War, with its burdens of suffering and of loss, brought home the danger which all countries share, and led Canada to turn with hope to the efforts to build up effective barriers against war which took shape in the League of Nations ; it will welcome the present proposals as a manifestation of the same striving for peace. The question whether the obligations of the Covenant of the League would conflict in any way with the obligations of the proposed pact has been given careful consideration. His Majesty's Government in Canada regards the League, with all its limitations, as an indispensable and continuing agency of international understanding, and would not desire to enter upon any course which would prejudice its effectiveness. It is, however, convinced that there is no conflict either in the letter or in the spjrit between the Covenant and the multilateral pact, or between the obligations assumed under each. The pre-eminent value of the League lies in its positive and preventive action. In bringing together periodically the representatives of fifty States, it builds up barriers against war by developing a spirit of conciliation, an acceptance of publicity in international affairs, a habit of co-operation in common ends, and a permanently available machinery for the adjustment of differences. It is true that the Covenant also contemplates the application of sanctions in the event of a member State going to war, if in so doing it has broken the pledges of the Covenant to seek a peaceful solution of disputes. Canada has always opposed any interpretation of the Covenant which would involve the application of these sanctions automatically or by the decision of other States. It was on the initiative of Canada that the Fourth Assembly, with a single negative vote, accepted the interpretative resolution to which the Secretary of State of the United States recently referred, indicating that it is for the constitutional authorities of each State to determine in what degree it is bound to assure the execution of the obligations of this article by employment of its military forces. The question of sanctions has received further consideration by later Assemblies. It is plain that the full realization of the ideal of joint economic or military pressure upon an outlaw Power, upon which some of the founders of the League set great store, will require either an approach to the universality of the League contemplated when the Covenant was being drawn, or an adjustment of the old rules of neutrality to meet the new conditions of co-operative defence. In any event, if, as would seem to be the case, the proposed multilateral treaty does not impose any obligation upon a signatory in relation to a State which has not signed the treaty or has broken it, any decision taken to apply sanctions against a member of the League which has made war in violation of its Covenant pledges would not appear to conflict with the obligations of the treaty. His Majesty's Government in Canada will have pleasure in co-operating in any future negotiations with a view to becoming a signatory to a treaty such as is proposed by the Government of the United States in the invitation which it has extended, and to recommending its acceptance to the Canadian Parliament. Accept, &c. W. L. Mackenzie King.

No. 8. Note from, Hit Majesty's Government in the Irish Free State to the United States Minister in Dublin of 30th May, 1928. Excellency, Dublin, 30th May, 1928. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of Your Excellency's note of the 22nd May* referring to the draft treaty for the renunciation of war and extending an invitation from your Government to the Government of the Irish Eree State to become .one of the original parties to the proposed treaty. The Government of the Irish Free State warmly welcome action of the United States Government in initiating this further advance towards the maintenance of general peace. They are in cordial agreement with the general principle of the draft treaty, which they confidently hope will ensure peaceful settlement of future international disputes. Sharing the view expressed by the Secretary of State of the United States in his speech before the American Society of International Law that nothing in the draft treaty is inconsistent with the Covenant of the League of Nations, the Government of the Irish Free State accept unreservedly the invitation of the United States Gcvernment to become a party to the treaty jointly with other States similarly invited. The Government of the Irish Free State will be glad, therefore, to participate in, and to further by every possible means, the negotiations which may be necessary for the conclusion of the pact. Accept, &c., P. McGilligan.

* This note was, midntis mutandis, identical with No. 5.

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