BRITAIN AT GENEVA

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 100, 6 September 1929, Page 6

BRITAIN AT GENEVA

DOMINIONS DO WOT LIKE IT

LONDON, Sept. 4. The Daily . Telegraph’s diplomatic correspondent says tljat he gathers that Mr Ramsay MacDonald endeavoured, strenuously,, but" unsuccessfully, to convince' his Dominion colleagues of the advisability of signing, the optional clause without , any but purely technical qualifications, such as . reciprocity and a time limit' of say five years.

Mr "MacDonald also suggested’ that, the Empire delegations r should sign an agreement not to invoke The Hague, intervention in any inter-Empire dispute, but failed to win the Irish Free State and the South African delegations to his view;, though he is still hopeful. The British 'dclegat ion also contemplates the abandonment of any reservations concerning the decisions of British Prize Courts, though Mr MacDonald, in 1921, strongly insisted on the need of this reservation. In the absence of an Anglo-American agreement on maritime 1 law, such reservations seem to be'an elementary caution. The Morning Post says: “Mr MacDonald’s excursions to Geneva are less popular than ]\|r Philip Snowdon’s to The Hague . Britain 'has"hot, forgotten that the navy saved her in the world war. We gather that Mr MacDonald is premature also in committing all,.the Dominions to the optional clause. We are’' not surprised" than the Free fttate agreed, s since she hoped to'bring Britain before the Qourt upon the interpretation of the Irish , Treaty, General Hertzog’s Government .will figreo to anything expected to weaken the Empire, lint Australia, with more' fidelity, has more compunction and' Mr Bruce’s statement show's -that-. Australia, is at least making reservations,”