The New York herald., 1921-09-30
HUGHES ANSWERS
LEAGUE NOTICES
Sends IA Notes Acknowledge
ing Communications Back
to February.
HERETOFORE IGNORED
Each Reply Separate and
Each Reply Separate and
Each Ends With Note
Of Opposition.
WHITE SLAVE TRAFFIC UP
League Adopts More Stringent
Convention and Asks Ma
tions to Agree.

GENEVA, Sept. 29.-What is inter-
preted by officials of the League OF
Nations as a sudden change of atti-
tude by the Washington Administra-
tion toward the league is causing
great qualification here. 1t became
known to-day that a few weeks ago
Charles Evans Hughes, American Sec
retary Of State, apparently pulled out
of State Department pigeonholes all
the communications received by him
from the league and answered them
officially in one bunch.
On August 27 there arrived in
Geneva notes from the State Depart
ment, all signed by Mr.. Hughes, ac-
knowledging league communications
dating as far back as last February.
They all arrived here in the same en-
velope. They reply to notifications by
the league to the United States re-
garding treaties registered here, two
Of them referring to registration OF
treaties between the United States and
Sweden regarding maritime traffic.
Others refer to various matters affect
Ing the world court Of justice.
Each communication from the
league is made the subject Of a sepa-
rate reply by Mr.. Hughes, but all Of
his notes contain the same concluding
paragraph, which follows:
Note is taken of this information
for any purpose Of relevancy to the
United States. as State which Is not
member of the League of Nations"
Change in Attitude.
The argument that this means
change in the United States attitude
on the fact that no reply had ever be-
tore been received here to a communi-
cation addressed to the Washington Ad-
ministration. and that when an invita-
ton was sent to the United States to
attend the Barcelona convention, the
American Consul In Geneva called or
Sir Eric Drummond, secretary genera
OF the league. and said that orally an,
unofiicially only he had been requeste,
by Mr.. Hughes to say to the secretary,
not answer the communication or ac-
cept the invitation, as the United States
was not member of the league.
League officials now express hope
that Washington will cooperate with
the league eventually, il not adhere to
IL in certain fields of endeavor. such
as white slave" traffic, opium, dis
armament and other problems of this
kind.
In approving to-day new white
slave" convention and deciding to ask
the delegates to solicit from their DIFF
ferent governments full powers to sisr
during the present session, the convcn-
tons for the repression of the traf-
fic. the Assembly of the League of Ma
tions over Frances vigorous protest
took a stand for its right to initiate and
draw up international conventions OF
any kind.
France contended that this was
equivalent to the negotiation of inter
national treaties by the league and that
while the league could recommend con-
ventions they could be initiated only by
governments acting directly through
especially empowered representatives.
The French delegates here had instruc-
tions from their Foreign Office in Paris
TO protest against this assumption OF
power by the league.
Arthur J. Balfour of the British dele
cation had. on the other hand. received
instructions from his Government to in
sist upon this right as applied to the
white slave convention. which was
actually drafted in the British Foreign
Office and submitted to the league for
adoption.
The French succeeded in rallying be-
hind their position those continental
States which are allied with her diplo-
macy, but they mustered only eight
Votes. For their Interpretation OF the
assembly's power the British got twen-
ty-fve votes. Eighteen States either
abstained from voting or were not rep
resented.
To END white slavery.
Upon the precedent established to-day
the likelihood Is that the old form OF
making conventions on such matters as
opium and white slavery" at confer
ences in which the United States could
participate will be superseded by the
league as an international body. This |
will bring up again the peculiar rela-
tionship which the United States must !
bear TO the league.
Gabriel Hanotaux, head OF the French |
delegation here, said after the vote to-
day that he regarded the action taken
as most unfortunate. Coming on the |
eve of the Washington conference for
the Limitation of armament. 1t will give
the impression that the league is a SUI
pcrstate, which we want to avoid" he
said.
The convention adopted goes far be-
yond the previous ones, fixing twenty
years as the age of consent In all the
countries and extending the regulations
for the first time to all women regard
less of race or color. and imposing reg
ulations at points of departure as well
as of embarkation. This international
convention will be submitted to the
United States, which, as a non-league
member, had, OF course, no voice in its
preparation. The French contend that
not even their Foreign Office has seen
IT and that France had no hand In its
making.
IL the league goes on drawing UP con-
ventions. the question is asked here,
VIII the United States continue to ignore
them as bearing the leagues label. how
ever much It may sympathizze with
their object?
n a.. ~