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Otago Daily Times, Issue 19234, 26 July 1924, Page 8

It is proposed that power bo given to the Council of the League to require tho States that arc parties to the Treaty “not to exceed the armaments or carry on an aggressive policy or preparations.” In the event of there being cause for cqmplaint, such as would bring the guarantee into full operation, Article 5 would apply. This article roads: “The High Contracting Parties undertake to furnish one another mutually with assistance in the

form determined by the Council of the League of Nations as the most effective and to take all appropriate measures without delay in order of urgency demanded by the circumstances.” It should be understood that the League is under an obligation in terms of the Covenant upon which it rests to do what it can to bring about a reduction of armaments. The draft Treaty of Mutual Assistance represents the direction of its endeavour to bring into effect some practical scheme to this' end. Mr Ramsay MacDonald gives the proposals, however, no quarter. His opinion is that the adoption of them would entail an increase rather than a diminution in Great Britain’s naval and military forces, that it would tend to the formation of rival groups of nations, and that it would undesirably extend the executive powers of the Council of the League. It would be impossible, in his judgment, for Great Britain to lend military aid to any signatory State in case of aggression. It will be for Mr MacDonald himself to reconcile this attitude with the strong support hitherto accorded by him'to the League of Nations. It is possible that the stand which he has taken up in this matter may be a source of some embarrassment to him in his own. country* On the other hand all supporters of the League will not necessarily give approval to the provisions of the Treaty of Mutual Assistance, and Mr MacDonald’s decision will give satisfaction in quarters which are distrustful of proposals which seem to them to be at variance with practical requirements in respect of the maintenance of the security of the Empire". In the responsible position which he occupies Mr Ramsay MacDonald is clearly not prepared to admit the wisdom of the commitments in which Great Britain would involve herself in becoming a party to this treaty. Objections on that score were answered by Lord Cecil in a recent exposition of the Treaty before the British Institute of International Affairs, when he observed: “I cannot imagine any considerable disturbance in Europe which would not be oii the first importance to us. For us to assume that there are some disturbances which we could look upon from a national point of view with equanimity is a profound delusion. But, even if it were so, there is no danger of our being rushed into ill-considered or unneces,sary action. Nothing can be done without the unanimous decision of the Council; and therefore we, being a member of the Council, should always be able to decline to accept (iny particular obligation which we thought was not really within the meaning of the Treaty.” Lord Cecil admitted the one “serious difficulty” in respect of the acceptance of obligations under the Treaty might he cohnected with the fact that Great Britain is head and centre of a world-wide Empire. It is to be apprehended that the Treaty of Mutual Assistance contains abundant' material for controversy.