NORTHERN ADVOCATE DAILY WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 1928. WORLD PEACE PROPOSALS

Northern Advocate, 23 May 1928, Page 4

NORTHERN ADVOCATE DAILY

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 1928. WORLD PEACE PROPOSALS

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Britain.’s reply to America's peace proposal continues.to occupy a dominating position in the news of the day. In older to understand exactly what is at issue and what the difficulties are it is necessary to look hack a little. Last June M. Briand proposed that France and America should enter into a pact which would ban war for ever as “an instrument of policy.” It seemed a promising opening, but at first America took very little notice of it. Later, howover, Mr Kellogg answered M. Briand's “feeler” by suggesting that if it were really possible to enter into such a beneficent pact it would be a pity to shut out other nations. Why should not the pact be multilateral ? Why, indeed, should not every civilised nation be brought in'? Then, as the London “Spectator” recently pointed out, there ensued long discussions in tin course of which M. Briand developed numerous doubts. How would an unreserved renunciation of war fit in with the obligations of the members of the League? Had not the League committed itself to make war in the last resort in order to suppress a deliberate disturbance of the peace? True, such action would bo a police war, not a spontaneous or deliberate war for the purpose of securing a selfish end; but it would be war nevertheless, and Mr Kellogg might be taken to mean that he wanted to rule out all war. Finally, M. Briand drew up a list of reservations. He proposed that in the event of any Power violating the pact all the other signatories should be released from their pledges, that no Power should he deprived of the “right of legitimate defence,” and that the pact should not affect existing obligations. There were other reservations, hut these were the chief, and they virtually comprehended the others. In the end, Mr Kellogg cut the discussions short by producing a draft Treaty which he forwarded to the British, German, Italian and Japanese Governments, as well as to the French. The Treaty contains three articles. The first declares that the signatory Powers “condemn recourse to war for the solution of international controversies and renounce it as an instrument of policy in their relations with one another,” The second article declares that the settlement of disputes of whatever nature “shall never be sought except by pacific, means.” The third declares that the Treaty shall come into force after ratification by all the Powers named above. Mr Kellogg proposed in a letter that all other Powers shall lie invited to add their names to those of the original signatories. He also pointed out with great cogency that the first two articles of the draft Treaty are practically identical with the original proposals of M. Briand himself. Another very important statement was that the United States: Government do not believe that such! a 'general renunciation of war as is proposed would clash with any of the obligations to the League. That is the position as it was a few weeks ago, when the “Spectator” expressed! the opinion that “the Kellogg proposal provides an unprecedented opportunity for making the world safer. There is no prospect at present of the United States joining the League, but here is the way to an almost equivalent result. If the British Government help the scheme to fruition their name will be blessed in history, but if .they fail either through lack of enthusiasm, or through managing badly, though their intentions may lie good, the whole cause of peace will be set back.” Britain’s reply to the United .States indicates very plainly that she is heart and soul with any proposal which may promise a; practical solution of the problem of world peace. I