The Hawera Star. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1924. THE GENEVA PROTOCOL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 22 November 1924, Page 4

The Hawera Star.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1924. THE GENEVA PROTOCOL.

Delivered every evening by a o'clock in Hawera Maii'aia', Normanby, Okaiawa, Eltham Mangatoki, Kaponga, Awatuna, Opunake. Otakeho, Manutahi, Alton, Hurleyville, Patea, Waverley, Mokoia, Whakamara, Ohangui, Mereinere, Frasex Road, and Araraia.

At this year’s Assembly of the League of Nations many important-, matters were discussed, and at the end, after considerable difficulty owing to Japanese objections, a Protocol on arbitration, security and disarmament was diafted. The terms of this document have been sent to the various nations concerned, who are asked to ratify them. The Protocol does represent a sincere desire to develop international law in the interests of peace, but nevertheless history has in the past taught us so often the fate of many of the “best laid schemes of mice and men” that it is necessary that the greatest care be taken in analysing fully the possible effects of the Protocol before deciding to ratify it. Japan, rather unexpectedly, raised serious objection to one part of the draft Protocol which affects Japan’s policy in the Pacific, and also the question of immigration throughout the British Empire. That eleventh hour amendments resulted in Japan finally agreeing to the Protocol does not necessarily mean that its provisions are satisfactory .to the British Empire, and messages received this week indicate that the Protocol is unlikely to be ratified by our nation. The London Daily Telegraph, one of the best informed papers on foreign affairs, published the following indicative statement from its diplomatic correspondent, who says that the Geneva Protocol is now scrapped:—“The British Government’s decision for a postponement is not surprising in view of the objections raised by the Dominions. It is significant that Signor Mussolini recently expressed doubts as to the wisdom of Italian ratification, and even the French enthusiasm has cooled,

while Japan was lukewarm from the

start until she secured the dangerous clauses sanctioning intervention in disputes arising out of immigration laws and domestic legislation. There are hopes that the Disarmament Conference, however, need not be abandoned, the demise of the League Conference furnishing President Coolidge with the opportunity of which the Geneva plan deprived him.” Weight is added to the correspondent’s statements by the announcement from Paris that the British Government has requested the League of Nations not to . place the Protocol on the agenda for the next on December 8, because it will be necessary to consult the Dominion Governments before Britain is able to proceed in the matter. This announcement has aroused interest in the United States, where it is thought that the postponement and not the scrapping of the Protocol is intended. The position shows how very difficult is the task of trying to find the way to permanent peace. It is not sufficient for delegates to Geneva to arrive at an agreement, and the nations—and our nation especially—are wise in examining very closely the terms of the very involved Protocol before binding themselves to it. If the Protocol is found to be unsatisfactory, it can hardly be claimed that the League of Nations is a failure. It has endeavoured to find a way to reduce the dangers of war in the future, but apparently the way as outlined in the Protocol contains many pitfalls and it is possibly too dangerous to ratify it. If the Protocol is scrapped the League must simply try again and see if it can devise a less dangerous plan. The majority of people in the various countries want peace, and they are favourable towards disarmament, but so much'distrust and jealousy exist that it is extremely difficult to find a way of giving effect to wishes of the nations. One nation cannot alone effect the change. Britain has gone as far as she can in the matter, and is prepared to go much • farther as soon as an agreement can be reached by all, an agreement, which must be free from any dangerous possibilities. The task of the League is to prepare sueh an agreement, and the history of its five years’ existence provides ample evidence of the enormity of the problem. However, the League has brought the nations belonging to it to a better understanding on many questions, and it is to be hoped that even in the very difficult problem of disarmament and securities it will yet succeed.