LEAGUE OBLIGATIONS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22241, 16 October 1935, Page 12

LEAGUE OBLIGATIONS

Since Italy has been judged guilty of resorting to war in disregard of obligations under the League Covenant, the duty of all other members of the League to join in imposing sanctions arises automatically. In strict theory, none of them has any refuge from this necessity. The wording of Article 16 is clear: Italy's breach of obligations creates for all the rest a position in which their own obligations become immediately operative. Even to abstain from participation in the condemning vote does not entitle any of them to hold aloof from the concerted effort to hamper the aggressor. This would itself be a violation of the Covenant and theoretically expose each of them to the risk of dismissal from the League "by a vote of the Council concurred in by the representatives of all the other members of the League represented thereon." That is, abstention from sharing in the exercise of sanctions places them in the same position as that of a member on trial for resorting to war. However, in practice no serious difficulty need stand in the way of granting exemption or reduction of duty. It is true that the obligation to join in the duty, when once another member has been declared guilty, is express and complete, and M. Litvinoff is so far right in saying that neglect to fulfil it raises the question of continuance in membership. But he has been rightly careful to go no farther than to say that the membership of defaulters "is due for examination." The Council is not obliged to declare a defaulter to be no longer a member : it "may" so declare, that is all. Four nations have signified their wish to stand aside or defer their cooperation : Austria, dependent on Italy for special aid in resisting Nazi encroachment; Hungary, fearing serious commercial loss ; Albania, having a special treaty alliance with Italy; and Argentina, with a large Italian population. These cases can be considered on their merits, and no doubt will be—by the sub-com-mittee now studying the reacting incidence of economic pressure on Italy, and afterwards by the main Co-ordinating Committee. This will not entail delay, for all data are at hand, and every leading nation, including France, is desirous of applying measures promptly. With due care for a just and expedient as well as an effective allocation of League duties the requisite planning of economic sanctions is apparently being expedited.