OUTLAWING WAR.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 21 May 1928, Page 7

OUTLAWING WAR.

SAFEGUARD OP LEAGUE

COVENANT

Received Sunday, 5.3 p.m. * CAPETOWN, May IS. General Smuts has made an important suggestion on the Kellogg Declaration.

General Smuts regards the proposed Declaration as reinforcing the League Covenant, bat. to be reasonably reliable it ought to bo followed up up an additional undertaking of Article Sixteen of the Covenant, or ought to be looked upon as, a supplement to the League which is based on the economic sanction of that Article.

He said that with the support of the United States behind" this economic sanction the prospect for future pence on the double basis of the Covenant and the Declaration becomes far brighter and more stable.

The complementary Declaration with the enthusiastic backing of America may well mean the rescue of the League from becoming a special concern and almost the private properly of any particular group of Powers.

General Smuts points out that special defensive groups have arisen in Europe not harmonising

with the spirit of the League and involving war obligations. The Locarno system might in the last resort moan war and war obligations on its members, and it was against these pacts and this system that outlawry of war under the Declaration bumped violently. A way out of this would be to make all the signatories not only of Locarno but of other defensive pacts parties to the Declaration. The Locarno and other pacts must, necessarily stand but they would all bo covered with the umbrella ol the Declaration. The effect then would be that if the Declaration were violated by an arbitrary aggressor defenders would still be able to fall back on the Locarno and other pacts as their second line of defence.

But it was quite possible the umbrella might prove effective against storm, safeguarding the poarc of Central Europe even more effectively than the patched-up arrangements of the ten years. . In that way Locarno would also prove to be but a stop towards ultimata peace. • .... General .Smuts urges that it is vain to organise for world peace and h ave out Russia. With all Central and Eastern Europe and Russia in the League or Decla rata ion, or both, the disarmament movement would enter an en t.irrlv now and most promising phase.

He added that if diplomatic correspondence failed to bring about nnanimitv let America call a conference oi the, Powers concerned.

BRITISH REPLY TO KELLOGG’S PROPOSAL IS SENT TO WASHINGTON,

Received Sunday. 5.5 p.m. LONDON, May 1!)

The Daily Telegraph’s diplomatic correspondent understands that the British reply to Mr. F. B. Kellogg has been dispatched and will be handed to the State Department, Washington, to-day, after w'hich the text will be released here. It is believed it constitutes an acceptance with new specific reservations formulated in London or the Dominions. .Later. The British reply to the Kellogg proposal for a treaty renouncing war will be published on May 20. There will be no authoritative intimation as to its contents, but expectation is that it will bo favourable in terms of the five Governments with which the United States has taken up the project.

Germany has already given complete approval. Italy has avoided a definite stand, but has signified approval of the general idea. France has countered with a draft treaty against war that is regarded here as emasculating the Kellogg proposal to point of complete ineffectiveness. Japan will submit a reply soon, -which is expected to indicate at least general acceptance of the Kellogg formula.