TIGHT BINDING ABOLITION OF WAR

Northern Advocate, 3 July 1928, Page 5

TIGHT BINDING

ABOLITION OF WAR

AN INTERNATIONAL CRIME.

STRIKING SUGGESTION.

(Australian Press Association.) (Received 9 a.m.) WASHINGTON, July I

Mr Samuel Colcord, of New York, has urged Mr F. B. Kellogg, Secretary of State, to extend the scope of the ponding multilateral outlawry of war pact so as to “delogatize" war by making it criminal under international law.

In a letter supported by an imposing list of public men, Air Colcord makes the suggestion on the ground that a dissatisfied nation may find means to withdraw from the treaty, but no nation can withdraw from international law.

He contends that, by acting as he suggests, the permanency of the pact would bo established.

BRITAIN’S DESIRE

SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION.

(British Official Wireless.) (Received 1.30 p.m.) RUGBY, July 1. The Prime Minister, Mr S. Baldwin, and Sir Austen Chamberlain received members of the League of Nations Union headed by Professor Gilbert Murray and Lord Hugh Cecil and discussed with them the Government's attitude to arbitration and other questions.

Referring to the Kellogg anti-war proposals the Foreign Secretary intimated that though the problem was not quite as simple as it might seem the deputation need be in no doubt as to his desire to bring the American treaty to a successful conclusion.

There wore, he said, a great many disputes which could not be settled by arbitration, but which might be settled by conciliation, since such disputes could not bo determined by any rule of consideration or law.

Replying to questions of the optional clause, Sir Austen Chamberlain reminded the deputation that, as he had stated in the House of Commons, he was not pretending to speak for all time, but in the present conditions the Government did not think any useful purpose would be served by the signing of the optional clause with the reservations they would have to attach to it.

In regard Mo the raifieation of the League Arms Traffic Convention of .1925, he thought the practical way of proceeding was to get the principal arms producing countries to name a date and ratify simultaneously.