MAKE HASTE SLOWLY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 48, Issue 85, 20 January 1928, Page 4

MAKE HASTE SLOWLY.

THE SECURITY PACT. BRITAIN'S ATTITUDE EXPLAINED i NOT OUTRUN PUBLIC.OPINION. (Press Association—Copyright.) LONDON, January 18. "There are some questions which no country could safely submit to ■ arbitration/.' says a British memorandum to the League of Nations, apropos of the forthcoming discus-" sions on security by its Disarmament Preparatory Committee. The memo, addsr. "Countries usually,..:. make reservations when:.agreeing to > arbitrate because they know there is a. point beyond which they cannot count »j upon their own people. Article 13 of the League of Nations Covenant recognises that there are limits beyond: which States cannot bind .themselves. The only sanction behind arbitration treaties consists of the world's publicopinion. Premature development oF" the ideal of arbitration would prejudicethe movement in favour of arbitration,, which is steadily advancing, and linight embitter relations between the twocountries concerned instead of improving them, "It is not the giving of a decision which is important, but the acceptance*thereof. An award which one party refused would give arbitration a setback. The time is» not yet ripe for a general system of sanctions' for the enforcement of awards. The only effectivesanction suggested consists of an agreement with other States to employ;-force to compel acceptance. It te improbablethat any powerful nation would'under-. . take such general obligations. Even. the parties to the Locarno Pact gavethe undertaking only to comply with the proposals made by the LeagueCouncil. An arbitration treaty' >whichs outruns public opinion merely deceives the public." The memorandum considers it best to hasten slowly to enable the nationsfto understand each other better and? allow for development of respect forinternational law.