Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1920-12-24

tos In rational defense. OF these we
have II ready for service and Il build
ing, and the board recommends that
three more be built for delivery by
1927. One more battle cruiser, ~
cruisers, 10 submarines and four air
p~lane-carrying ships are asked ana
a one-year program of naval aFplahe
construction is recommended. In d
sentence, what the board advises is o
combatant navy equal to the most
powerful maintained by any other ma
ton, supporting and protecting a great
merchant fleet.
To return to the League of Nations:
Several important things were ac-
complished last week by the assem-
bly,. First of these was the adoption
of a statute for a permanent interna-
tional court of justice. The plan now
goes to the member states for ratifi-
cation. If it is approved by y, or a
majority, before the next meeting OF
the assembly, the judges will be
chosen and the court will come into
existence in September, 1921. In the
debate on the project there was a
hot contest between Europe on one
side and Latin-America on the other
over the question whether the Jurls-
diction of the court should be obfiga-
tory or voluntary. Europe won out,
and the statute as adopted does not
make obligatory the appearance of
both parties to. a dispute, and pro-
vides no penalty for noncompliance
with the courts decisions. The Euro
pear delegates defended the scherhe
as : the best beginning that can be
made, but the Latin-Americans were
very skeptical as to the value of op-
tional jurisdiction.
Austria, first of the former enemy
| states to be admitted to the league,
was voted in Wednesday without OPP
| position. four members refraining from
voting. Next day Bulgaria was admit
| ted, France and Australia not voting.
| The action on Austria brought on a
lively passage between Motta OF
Switzerland and Viviani of France.
| The former took occasion to say that
his country had always regretted the
rejection of Germany's application for
admission, whereupon Viviani leaped
to the tribune and in a fiery speech
defended the French position in op'
posing Germany's admission. Most OF
the assembly was with him and he
was enthusiastically applauded. Lux
emburg, Finland and Costa Rica also
we're admitted to the league.
Spain, Brazil, Belgium and China
we're chosen as the four elective mem
bers of the council. China takes the
place of Greece, and her victory was
said to be due mainly to the persona
strength and popularity of DI. We
lington Koo among the delegates.
Armenia, together with Georgia ant
the Baltic states, was refused admis
sion to the league, but a resolution
was adopted expressing the hope tina
President Wilson'S efforts would re
suit in the saving of Armenia and tn,
establishment of a stable government
so that she could be taken into tn
fold. Mr.. Wilson has named Henr,
Morgenthau as his representative il
the mediation, but just what he cal
do is puzzling many observers. Al
ready Armenia has yielded to the be
hests of the Red Russians and es
tablished a soviet government at Err
van, and the Turkish nationalist
called off by Lenine, have signed
peace treaty with the Armenians b
which the latter hand back to Turke
most of her former territory in tina
region. If this suits the majority Q
the Armenians. what are the power
going to do about 1t? And what
Mr.. Morgenthau going to try t
mediate?
One genuinely constructive accom-
plishment of the league assembly las
week was the establishment of a
international commission to be a banl
er for European nations without cree
it or with very diminished credi
The nations meant are Poland, Rol
!. mania. Bulgaria, Jugo-Slavia, Czech
Slovakia, and possibly Turkey. N;
!, tions desiring to take advantage {
the facilities offered will notify IL
commission what assets, ETC., the
wish to pledge with it-for instanc
customs duties, railroads or mono
olies. The commission will then set
fair value thereon for whatever peril
the assets are pledged and authori;
the government in question to issl
[ gold bonds to that amount. Then i
dividual business men belonging
: that country. or its government, &C