The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1920-11-11
LEAGUE ASSEMBLY
TALKS BLOCKADE
Sir Eric DrummOnd, Secre-
tary General Distrib-
utes Literature.
WOULD BOYCOTT U. S.

New York-One Of the important
questions to be considered by the as
semblv Of the League of Nations at its
first meeting, beginning November 10,
at Geneva, will be the preparations re-
ouired to enable the league TO use, II
necessity arises, the weapon of inter-
national economic and financial block
AIDE contemplated in Article XVI of the
covenant.
A memorandum by Sir Eric Drum
mond, the encouragement, now being
distributed to the members Of the
league and received here by the League
TO Enforce Peace shows that this ques-
tion will come before the assembly on
the recommendation of the league
council in the form of a proposal to
appoint a body to be known as the
international Blockade Commission"
The encouragement suggests that
this commission consist Of representa-
tives nominated by the countries en-
titled to permanent membership in the
council, with the addition of represen-
+atives Of four other members Of the
league selected by the assembly, for
the purpose of studying the problem
and settling the general plan Of action,
the organization of the more perma-
nent machinery required and the prin-
ciples on which it should work.
Action Affects America.
This question is Of peculiar interest
to the United States because one OF
the first problems such as O. commits
sion would consider promises to be the
method of rendering a blockade etfec-
tive against states which are not mem
bers Of the league. In report adopted
by the council of the league at the San
Sebastian meeting in August, M. Tit
toni. the Italian representative, stated:
"It should be clear that the states
members Of the League of Nations who
declare the blockade have the right to
render it effective against all states
including those who are not members
Of the league, but they have not the
right to force the states who do not
form part Of the league to declare the
blockade themselves"
Article XVI provides that should any
member Of the league resort to war IN
disregard of it's covenants, all the 9th
or members shall undertake immedi-
ately to subject it to the severance OF
all trade or financial relations
and the prevention Of all financial,
commercial or personal intercourse be-
tween the nationals of the covenant
breaking state and the nationals OF any
other state whether a member of the
league or not" and that the members
shall mutually support one another in
.lhe financial and 'tconomic Measures
taken under this article.
"The use of this weapon" says the
secretary general, "is in certain cir
cumstances a specific duty imposed by
Article XVI This duty cannot be eff
fectively carried out without great loss
of time and efficiency unless there has
been considerable previous preparation
before the time at which action is re-
quired. Situations might well arise in
which the knowledge that the weapon
is ready for use would have very
salutary effect. Many people think
that the league is founded more upon
good intentions than upon cool con-
sideration of the stern realities of in
ternational trouble. 1t is, therefore,
desirable on general grounds that while
the first meetings of the council and
the assembly should give the world the
positive hope of removing misunder-
standing and promoting international
cooperation, they should also show
quite clearly that the members Of the
league as q whole are determined, If
necessity arises to enforce their will
by effective action on any particular
country which in the circumstances
contemplated by the covenant deies
the general verdict of the world"
The memorandum calls attention to
one important difference between the
two forms of pressure Economic and
military which the league may use as
follows: where a member of the
league resorts. to war in disregard of
specified covenants, all other members
of the league are by the covenant it.
self specifically obliged to apply the
economic weapon. They are not sim
ilarly Obliged to use their military or
naval forces. In the latter case, the
article (XVD only provides that it
shall be the duty of the council in such
cases to recommend to the several gov
ernments concerned what effective
military or naval forces they shall sew
orally contribute"
The secretary-general is Of the opin-
ion that the article clearly eontem-
plates that, so far as possible, "the rel
sponsibility for enforcing economic
pressure shall be decentralized, i. e.,
primary responsibility rests upon
each government to take action so far
as its own nationals and own national
machinery are concerned, arrangements
being made by each of them separately
and not by single international au-
thority."
At the same time, he concludes that
central co0rdinating authority will
be required if the weapon Of economic
pressure is to be efficiently used.