The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-21

is ready to cooperate in almost any
feasible pian that ,could assure the
help of the United states TO preserre
tcOrld peace.
Special cable to TIE New YoaIt HERALD
Copyright, 1920, By THE NEW YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau,
London, Dec. 90.
England is ready to accept almost
any amendment to the League OF Ma
tions covenant which will assure the
cooperation Of the United States and
her help in preserving world peace.
She is willing and anxious to confer
formally or informally. privately or
publicly. to that end. This statement
was made to THE New York HERALD
correspondent here tonight in an au-
thoritativc quarter after Arthur j.
Ralfour, Lord President of the Council
of the British Cabinet and member of
the British delegation to the meeting
of the assembly of the League OF Ma
tions, had returned here from Geneva
and called at the official residence OF
the Prime Minister.
While it Is not permissible to give
the name of the informant, it Is possi-
BILE to say that this statement repre-
sents, and Is considered to be, the view
of the British Government
From the same source ii is possible
to say it also is the view Of the pres
League of Nations should not be
scrapped entirely, and, Furthermore,
that under the treaties formally signed
with her late allies in the war, Great
Britain herself cannot abandon the
League of Nations in favor of any
other organization, however promising
1t may be, unless her entire forty-odd
fellow signatories to the League OF
Nations covenant also agree to it.
Would Hasten to Confer.
But II was again emphasized that if
n were possible. through any sort Of n
conference. to effect changes in the
league ~ Nations which would make
n conform to American ideas. such as
those attributed 20 Mr.. Harding, Great
Britain would DO found readiest to at
tend such a conference and to be
heartily supporting what America
wants.
British statesmen never regarded the
elaborate machinery of the League OF
Nations covenant apparently committing
league members to all sorts of automatic
action--a quality of super-sovercignty
which defeated the league in the United
States---as, in actual practice. forcing
snIch action when, nationally, Ii was not
wanted However. this concept o. the
covenant has just been reinforced by
events in Geneva. Hence the British
Cabinet views complacently the move
ment to eliminate Articles N, NJ. and
XVI, &C., to which IL Is now gem
orally recognized here America could not
constitutionally subscribe with the cer-
tainty that her signature would be made
good when the time came to act.
This also. according to all evidences,
Is the popular view. IL is certainly the
view Of a large bulk OF editorial opinion
here following the Geneva meeting OF the
assembly of the league.
A logical Interpretation OF the above,
of course. indicates that Great Britain Is
not eager TO share in what purports to
be a scheme now under consideration by
Presidont-eect Harding for what might
be described as new association OF
nations. Popularity. however, even this
might be acceded to here in view of the
widespread and deep rooted conviction
that the future OF the world depends on
glo-Amerlcan cooperation, either with
in or without the league.
Lord NorthcIiGe's Opinion.
This view was voiced To THE NEW
yoRK HERALD correspondent by Lord
Northclffc tonight when me declared
Even II the League OF Nations
s~oufu he an utter failure. which | do
not anticipate. and Il the United states
should definitely decide against any par
ticipation In any combination Of nations
for the purpose Of securing world peace,
which | do not discuss. An agreement
between the principal states OF the
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