The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-08
Postponement Of Subjects
Only Thing on Which
Unanimity Is Likely.
CONFLICT WITH COUNCIL
Questions Regarding Clash of
Authority With Assembly
Take Up the Day.
BY LAURENCE HILLS.

Copyright, 1880, by The New York HERALD
GENEVA, Dec. THE detection of
the Argentine Republics delegation
from the League Of Nations, the dele
cation having left here tonight, to-
gether with the confusion which has
arisen over the covenant, has taken
most of the life out Of the assembly.
The outstanding feature of the stu
alton now is the interest Great Britain
apparently has in keeping the organ
ization at work and in applying GER
tain provisions of the covenant.
This was made evident to-day in the
discussion before the blockade COM
mittee, wherein Great Britain sought
to get a provisional measure passed
whereby the members of the league
would agree to apply a blockade be-
fore the special committee to study
the question had made it's report. In
all the committees the British dele
gates, including those from the
Doininions, have thrown themselves
into the work of applying the cove
nant, although Canada continues to
show considerable independence.
Argentina Like United states.
Honorio Pueyrredon, head Of Argen-
tina's delegation here. before leaving for
Paris said to THE NEW YORK HERALD
correspondent:
Our position is very similar to that
of the United States. We regard our
selves as virtually discovered from the
League. Those still in the league know
cur position. If our ideas are met in
the future we will cooperate In this plan
for preserving peace. If not, we will
remain outside We are for democratic
zation of the league AZ affecting the
council Also we are for the admission
OF all sovereign States in order to make
ii a real league. We are not pro-Ger-
man, either. They can get the Argen-
tine Republic back by complying with
our demands for the reorganization OF
the league l take IL that this Is much
the position of the United States"
Senior Pueyrredon said that he con-
: si6ered Article XEvI. afforded the Ar
. gentine Republic sufficient excuse to
withdraw from the league. Argentina's
amendments had been offered but not
accepted. He said he was quite sure
the Parliament of his country would APP
prove the action of the delegation, of
from the assembly.
Meanwhile Argentina can be consid-
cred as much outside the league as Is
the United States in regard to her
obligations.
While the assembly discussed the
typhus situation to-day, regarding
which many speeches were made, the
committees wrestled with the problem
Of obtaining unanimity on many reports.
The unanimity obtained in a majority
Of the cases will only be an agreement
TO postpone all vital decisions.
The subcommittee on the interna-
tional court, with a plain majority of
the nations here DESTROYS of giving the
court compulsory jurisdiction, agreed
to-day to merely few minor changes
In the wording of the plan as II was
revised by the council of the league.
States not represented at The Hague
are to be classified separately and en-
abled to nominate judges by groups.
This represents slight change from
Mr. Roots plan.
No Compulsion by Court.
The report, which was drawn UP to-
night and which goes before the assem-
bly,. constitutes a court which can act
only when the two disputants agree to
allow their case to come before the
court. The members of the committee
bfTc agreed that the courts jurisdic-
tlcn shall only be that Of an arbitrary
tribunal. dependent entirely upon the
agreement Of the parties to the dispute.
Therefore. definition of the courts
jurisdiction Is virtually superfluous.
Many persons here believe ii will have
the same fate as The Hague tribunal:
that a few minor disputes will be
brought before It. but that will be all.
This action here has been productive OF
more disappontments than almost any
other single issue here.
The discussion to-day in the commit
tee regarding the economic and finan-
cial blockade question went to the very
heart of the covenant and empha sized
again the absolute refusal OF some ma
tons 10 subscribe to tho theory that
blockade comes into effect automatically
or that the council can odrer them to
break OF relations with any other ma
ton before they themselves have de-
cidcd whether that nation is a covenant
breaker.
on this question the report left Il un-
decided Just what authority Is to deter
mine whether a nation has violated the
covenant. Certain nations called atten-
ton TO the fact that II each nation Is to
have liberty OF action some OF them
might take sides with the covenant
breaker. and conditions then would be
the same as IL the league did not exist.
Blockade Left Undecided.
Lord Robert Cecil representing the
Union Of South Africa, contended that
Article XVI. was vital to the whole
covenant and that its application rested
absolutely and directly on every mem
Der Of the league to put into effect this
blockade. The only question was, who
was going to decide whether State had
conducted itself In such way as to re-
duirc other States 10 establish n block
ade against II. It was impossible to get
unanimitv on the question of allowing
the council to decide the matter.
Great Britain. through III. a. l.. Fisher,
wanted provisional rule made whereby
the council would merely report the
facts to the different league members,
who In way should bind themselves TO
pur the blockade measures into effect.
dispute arose over this which was not
decided. but u led TO n declaration by
Hjaimar Granting OF Sweden that his
country would not now or in the future
lei flta al 81.