ARBITRATION IN EMPIRE

Taranaki Daily News, 17 October 1930, Page 7

ARBITRATION IN EMPIRE

RESULTS OF LEAGUE

DISCUSSION AT CONFERENCE

QUESTION OF SIGNATURE

DISARMAMENT MATTERS

>3 , British Wireless. Rugby, Oct. 15. There was no meeting of the heads of the delegations to the Imperial Conference to-day, but the work of the committees continued. The communications committee further considered various aspects of Empire broadcasting and the commit tee on arbitration and disarmament and the general economic committee also met. The committee on arbitration and disarmament began * a general discussion whether, when the League’s general Act of Arbitration was signed, all international disputes would be referred to conciliation and arbitration, whereas the optional clause, which the Empire had already signed, limited The Hague Court’s scope to justifiable disputes. The Canadian delegate, Mr. Maurice Dupre, presided over the arbitration committee. The discussion will be continued to-morrow. The committee agenda in eludes! three main items: Firstly, a general Act for the pacific settlement of international disputes; secondly, amendments to the League of Nations Covenant; thirdly, the question of disarmament ip general, with special reference to the general disarmament convention.

The Foreign Secretary, Mr. A. Henderson, at Geneva in September announced that the United Kingdom Government was prepared in principle to accept the general Act which sought to extend the field _ of international conciliation and arbitration to cover not • merely justifiable disputes, which, under the .optional clause, were referred to The Hague, but also disputes subject to reservations which were known. While accepting the principle Mr. Henderson reserved his signature until the matter was discussed at the Imperial Conference. Some of the Dominions also preferred to await the conference discussion.