Evening star., 1921-12-16

gram of reforms and. secondly. col
lecting and working out the propos.
ais of different governments regard
ing the prepared tentative program
of reforms.
On the occasion of the recent con-
ference of Barcelona for International
transports ard communications, held
in March Of this year. Count PaglianO.
who was in attendance. points out
that 1t was possible easily to arrive
at the conclusion of conventions and
agreements, thanks to the preliminary
work of accurate preparation which
had been undertaken by special
committee working on its own initia-
tive and on the basis of proposals
from various states. At the opening
Of that conference that committee
presented an almost complete docu-
mentation.
View Of Specialists.
In the present situation. the two
specialists in international law think.
all governments could be invited by
telegraph or cable to prepare their
concrete proposals on the subject and
to forward them to the conference.
Then the special committee Of which
they are members could complete Its
own work and shape a program which
would single out points to be either
modified or regulated and, at the same
time. give suggestions both for and
against the various reforms under
consideration.
So much for preparation. Next comes
the subject of the political authority the
initiative of which would lend the neces-
sary weight to the proper inception and
successful completion OF task whose
outcome would affect the entire civilized
world. Count Pagliano and DR.. Tachi
consider the United States the logical
authority. The Hague conferences, Of
1899 and 1907 were able to convene. they
point out, because called by the head OF
the most powerful monarchy existing
at that time. the czar Of Russia.
The league Of nations: moreeyer' ss re-, With With
could be organized In 1919 only because
1t was sponsored by an official who
stated he was speaking in the name OF
one Of the most powerful nations in the
world.
High Authority Needed.
1t will be possible to achieve the
formal disciplining of the laws Of
war (Which. with disarmament,
makes up the two elements of the
fundamental humanitarian conception
of the Washington conference). it Is
explained. If the necessity for 1t be
proclaimed by some high interna-
tional authority. like the United
begun, and committee members feel
that it must not remain vain at
tempt. 1t would. therefore. seem ad-
visable to proceed without unneces-
sary delay first to the preparation of
a complete program Of revision and.
next, to the announcement of the firm
intention to carry out, within short
time and with the cooperation of all
peoples. the work of revision.
At the time the committee was in
stituted. late In November. 1t was un-
derstood that nothing had been de-
termined as TO whether it would be
asked to go ahead and draft a code of
international law governing warfare
for submission to the delegates. or
whether the delegates themselves
would adopt a set of principles and
then ask the experts to put them in
legal terms. Personal expressions OF
opinion from committee members now
indicate that the first idea is impracti-
cable. inasmuch as group composed
of only part OF the nations cannot lay
down rules for absent nations to fol-
low. while it is considered unlikely
that the alternate idea of a promulga-
tion of principles by the delegates
themselves will prove to be the correct
one.