KELLOGG PACT

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 January 1929, Page 7

KELLOGG PACT

REFERENDUM ON WAR.

(Australian Press Association.) (By Cable—Press Assn.—Copyright.)

WASHINGTON, January 10.

While further efforts for a compromise agreement on the Kellogg Pact failed to-day, at the Senate conferences Senator Borah expressed the hope that a vote on the Pact would occur on Saturday. An interesting manoeuvre makes the Pact effective after its passage, which in any event seems assured. It occurred with the introduction by Representative Fish of a constitutional amendment under which no war, save a war of defence, could be waged .by the United States, until a declaration of hostilities is ratified by a popular referendum. Representative Fish declared that he was ready to accept further qualifications, under which war, where “established American policy” was involved, could be waged without such a referendum. He characterised the proposal as a logical step for support of the Kellogg Treaty, declaring: “It constitutes another obstacle, or check, on war, and responsibility for the final decision would be placed squarely on those w r ho carry the rifle as their burden.”

POLAND AND RUSSIA

WARSAW, January 11.

Poland’s reply to the Moscow note agrees to the principle of the plan, but Poland is astonished that Russia addressed the proposal only to Poland and Lithuania, and not to her other neighbours. Moreover, Poland is astonished that Moscow approached Lithuania, which has no common frontier with Soviet Russia, and which refuses to enter diplomatic relations with Poland. The reply adds: Poland has always maintained the necessity for treating the problem of security in Eastern Europe conjointly by all interested States. Only thus can effective guarantees for the maintenance of peace be obtained. Hence, Poland is consulting Latvia, Esthonia, Finland and Roumania, before moving further.

Incidentally, the reply points out that even the initiators of the Kellogg pact have not at present ratified. Being one of the first signatories, the Polish Government ought to come to an agreement with the initiators on the subject of partial enforcement of the Pact.