THE LEAGUE

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 24 September 1924, Page 5

THE LEAGUE

ARBITRATION AND DISARMA-

MENT.

TEXT OF PROTOCOL. SUBJECT TO MODIFICATION. it bijii.* AObwtii lHj.> •:ur\muu GENEVA, Sept. 22. The provisional text of the arbitration and disarmament protocol, which is subject to modification, has been published. It generally follows the lines cabled recently. \ Article one amends article 12 of the League covenant, and forbids a member of the League to engage in warfare with another member, excepting in a case of resistance, an act of aggression, or when acting with the consent of the League. Article five defines an aggressor as a country refusing to submit a dispute for pacific settlement or to conform to a judicial ruling, an arbitral award or a unanimous decision of the council. The Hague Court will be the arbitrator, when international law is involved, while upon the council 'devolves the responsibility of deciding whether an act of war was illegally committed and applying appropriate sanctions. Another article authorises an invitation to be issued to a non-member nation to submit to the provisions of the protocol when engaged in a dispute with a signatory of the protocol. The, question of the.economic and financial sanctions to be inflicted on a wrongdoer shall, under article seven, be decided by the economic and financial organisations of the League. . Article eight requires the signatories to give the council in advance undertakings regarding the extent of' the military, naval and air forces they are able to bring into action immediately in order to enforce the provisions of the protocol, while the signatories may provide the whole or any part of * their military, naval and air forces to assist a victim of aggression. All the costs of operations shall be imposed on the aggressor.

Unless a mojority of the permanent members of the council and ten other members ratify the protocol by May 1, 1925, the invitations to a disarmament conference shall be cancelled. The protocol shall not take effect- until -a disarmament scheme is adopted. In the meantime the council will draft a programme of disarmament, which will be communicated to the Powers at least two months before the conference meets: The protocol will also lapse if the conference’s disarmament scheme is not carried out within a period to be fixed bv > the conference, while any member of the conference not conforming to the disarmament scheme within a time limit will be excluded from the benefits of the protocol. An appendix stipulates that differences in regard to the interpretation of the protocol shall be submitted to an international court of justice.

mv. i p, GENEAV, Sept. 23. . Ihe draft arbitration protocol was discussed by the armaments committee, when Mr Arthur Henderson (Britain) made important reservations as regards the use of the British Fleet, which he declared must retain entire liberty of action: He said the British Government was of opinion that it was inconceivable that the British Empire would make war against the covenant or against the protocol, and therefore rt only envisaged a case in which Britain would be engaged in warlike operations on behalf of the covenant and with the approval of the Leag;ue. The Government was sure, in such a ease, that it would •be necessary and desirable in the general interest, as well- as Britain’s particuTar interest, that the British Fleet should be able to operate with that freedom which was required to secure rapid success upon the termination of sanctions. He therefore proposed a reservation that disputes arising out of warlike operations undertaken by the British Empire , m support of the League should not be referred to the permanent court for settlement. The reservation did not appear to limit in any way the value of what the League was doing. Nobody desired the permanent court to become a -body . controlling military operations, and therefore he believed m safeguardmg the liberty of action of the British bleet, which, above all, must be safeguarded. They were not acting contrary to the general interests of the nations of the world. ; Dr. Benes, reporting on the discussions of the sub-committee, declared that the protocol did not overstep the frame of the covenant in the matter of sanctions. . The signatories of the protocol undertook nothing new in this matter, though their obligations would become more precise and efficacious, lhe agreement reached bv the subcommittee had resulted in'the elaboration of a system leading to the goal of tne destruction of war. Their responsihility was grave, but despite the difficulties he hoped the discussions of the third committee, afterwards those of the assembly, and finally the acts of Governments when it came to the question of signatures, would not cause disappointment to the millions of human beings who were looking to Geneva lips 011 ° ne " peace, on their The discussion was adjourned. _ LONDON, Sept. 23. - newspapers received the- Geneva too late for comment, but there e indications that the available rewill fail to clear up the doubts and relieve the anxiety expressed widespread lately regarding the extent to which the British fleet will be committed. Although one report gives Mr. Arthur Henderson as saying that British troops and ships will not be placed at the disposal of the council of the League as they think fit, the fullest report of Mr. Henderson’s speech will be eagerly awaited, because several cabled passages are obscure and require elucidation and amplification. The Daily Chronicle, in an editorial on the general subject, says that for Britain it is an all important fact that America, Germany and Russia are outside the League, and to commit ourselves to armed action not of our own choice by a body which falls so far short of representing the world’s civilisation wquid be a different thing from obeying the behests of the whole civilised world. Therefore we ought not to be in a hurry to strain the function of the League too heavily.

INTELLECTUAL CO-OPERATION. Received Sept. 24. 10.50 a.m. GENEVA, Sept. 22. The committee of the Intellectual Cooperation passed a. resolution unanimously favouring the creation of a new institute in Paris for the co-ordination of scientific investigation throughout the world, the publication of books, the ■ establishment of research laboratories, f the exchange of scientific material and historical research. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.