FATE OF PROTOCOL

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18549, 26 November 1925, Page 9

FATE OF PROTOCOL

THE SPIRIT AND THE COVENANT. SIR J. ALLEN'S VIEWS. ir&OU OVR OWS COftXXSrOXBtST.) LONDON, October 7. According to Sir James Allen, th<f Assembly of the League of Nations, which luis just ckeed its session, is chiefly notable for having killed tho Protocol. When it was dealt with in committee thero were soveral resolutions brought up with a view V> aaiending it and keeping it alive, but hi the end the various representatives tome into lino and quietly lahl it to l e*t. •'What has taken ivs Uie Sovwrity Phct.'' Sir Jaucs, "did ::ur ,<onic beiore ;;s. I am bound to .say t-li.it it would have been very dilft- . ii'lt for thn lVHush Km pi no to ha»o .a-cfptod the lYntocol bom use it was not devised in tho true spirit of the Covenant. The Protocol assured thai there must bo an aggressor, and it ww cut to iind a means of punishing the C'jiliy. The OovcnanU does not look lor an aggressor, of assuming thero will Ik> no aocreMor, I think, is tho basis of the aiscuukm* that are now going «.»n regarding tho I'caoci Pact. It is much more promising even though it applies only to a certain number of t-Jio nations. Hiey lualiso the possibility of the agreement; !>ein<j broken, but no nation would the Pact unless ft. was to its interest to stand by it. " A not hor objection to the Protocol was its compulsory arbitration claave-*-Compulsory arbitration is impracticable 'inloss you hav«- sufficient, sanctions t"hind it to punish the nations whi-h -.rill not. accept the judgment of th» arbitrators. Ido not think any of the nations in Europe have had any ©xpervenee of compulsory arbitration either as between 4 hero as nation? or in 'onr.exion with industrial dispntea. Perhaps New Zealand's experience this matter might shed nnt light on international disputes in Kurope. You have got to have on bofh sides Ik fore arbitration will be racoeacfol. "My opinion after previous Axmhlies," addod Sir Janes, "ban been that its greatest usefulness is derived from the cultivation of good fellowship. This has been impressed . more iinnly on my mind on this occasion. It ih the building ao of conscience throughout the -vorM that will make the nations devote themselves to the settlement of their difficulties round the table rather than by strife. Undoubtedly the League is doing a good work in that way. "We as a nation have seen what r*» suit changes of Government have bad ou the resolutions of Imperial Conferences. Changes of Government in ti» various countries also have u, noticeable effect on the work of the Leagpe. The French attitude this year totMU certain questions for instance, wjjrdif-, ferent. Tho French delegate* v«r» much more conciliatory snd thex not the tendency to fortn a ditrne wbStli was noticeable last year. As for Great Britain, the result of the change of Government is seen in the (belting of the Protocol." YinancLal PosiUoa. Sir James Allen was a member of the finance Committee. Tho position, he stated, wad very satisfactory. Owiributions *eio Uing paid, except by an insignificant minority, and a surplus in funds had led to tho proposal u> erect new buildings to houso Secretariat and provide acfommodatßi* for the meetings of tho Assembly. It appears tb&t tho total receipts in i respect of 1925 fcavo been U,3U8,538 gold francs or approximately 0$ per" cent, of tho authorised budget. Afctne .-lose of 1924/ there wasdne League by w»jr of unpaid appertaining, to the second, foMi fourth, fifth, and sirfb financial period* as well, as to the adjusted airenns count, a iotpl sum of 8,38^.5^. francs. The countriea wtuch failed so far to contribute UHwacfff the year 1925 are tho AlfOtiMk Jlr ma, China, Cost Bica,Gn«M ■ Honduras, Luxemburg, NfctniMs, Panama, Pern, Persia, and : Thq Finance Committee (Rum tt* - following* scale of allocation of the expenses of the Letgw fot ISK Iw, and 1928. <ire*t Brijltin . with 105 units. For 1928w»'4MMialll> due fToni Britain is 2.158£30 {pM francs, of which 1.50T.397 gold fnnwi have paid. France i» n«*fc on "the list with 79 units, Italy and Japan pwr -< CO units, India 56 units. China units, Spain 40, Canada 35. Attstra!!V 27, and New ZealanfllO units.