The New York herald., 1921-09-10
LEAGUE MIGHT HAVE
TO Fight AMERICA
Supplying Arms to Gov
enant Breakers Would
COntravene Article 16.
MAY CHANGE CLAUSE
Question of Enforcing Eco
nomic Blockade Without
U. s. Is Problem.
81 JUDICIAL CANDIDATES
Election Comes Next Week for
Judges of Interna-
tiOnal Court.
MAY CHANGE CLAUSE
81 JUDICIAL CANDIDATES

Special Gable to THE NEW YonK HpaALp.
Copyright, 1891, by THE NEw York HrRAID
| GENEVA. Sept. 9.-Because Of the alb
sentation of the United States.
seems to be regarded as more or les
final by the League Of Nations pro
ponents that Article XVI. Of tn,
covenant. providing for an economi,
blockade. may have to be changet
radically. Discussion of this articl,
came up In the assembly committe,
to-day. with France and England agail
presenting divergent views on the fu
| ture of the covenant.
| The French position, as explained
by Rene viviani, was the same as IL
! the discussion of Article x: namely
that France was against any changes
or notifications, for the present a
least, and was for keeping the leagu,
as strong as possible in its guar
antees.
On the other hand. England's posi-.
ton. as interpreted by H. A. L. Fishers
remarks. seems to be that. with ths
United States remaining out OF tht
league, the situation Is entirely changcc
and that certainly Article XVI, which
would practically compel a general wal
by league enthusiasts. should Americs
supply covenant breakers with arms
could no longer be accepted.
The league. In these questions. ap.
pears to be drifting about. trying very
hard to get new bearings in the present
Assembly meeting.
During the discussion regarding
Article XVI, which was not ended. the
British suggestion was that an entirely
new article should be written into the
covenant. removing the automatic fea-
ture contained in the present article and
| putting the question up to the Council
| for decision.
Lord Robert Cecil representing th,
| Union Of South Africa, pressed for &
strict Interpretation Of Article XVI, bu
an Italian member called attention t
the fact that this would mean a genera
war If the United States. for instance
should continue relations with a cove
nart breaker OF the league. \. ~
/ Rene viviani Of France said It was to,
early to change one Of the most impor
tant articles in the covenant and tha
the, British suggestion would plainl,
make the council superbody
M. viviani also said that II the arti
Gle was changed or exceptions made II
the blockade provisions the Who'll,
! thing would fall to pieces
-
By the Associated Press.
| GENEVA, Sept 9.--Should Presiden
Harding see ut to create q new Society
| of Nations. Colombia will be among the
nrst to apply for membership.
A. F. Restrepo. chief Of the Colombian
delegation to the League Of Nations As
sembly. made this declaration to-day In
discussing q report that Colombia
among other South American States
cause of its rejection of the Argentine
amendment to the covenant OF ths
league providing that all sovereign
States should be members OF the league
unles by their own volition they alb,
stained from membership. He said Co.
| lonlbia did not regard the rejection ol
| the amendment as sufficient reason t<
leave the League.
Senior Restrepo added that he believed
all the other South and Central Amer
| lean States would follow Colombia intt
the new society, should 1t be formed
Asked II this could be construed al
meaning these States would Withdraw
from the present league In such event
Senior Restrepo said:
4 I'VE would have to wait and see, but
nevertheless, II Is q question II publi
opinion In South America would sup
1 mort two leae1Ies"
south America Ignored.
THE South American countries ar
finding tina. virtually all questions be
fore the league are purely European
In interest" continued Senior Restrepo
Nearly all our interests, commercial.
and politically. lie In the other cont
nent and In sense are common d
those of the United States. Colombia
for example, came into the league onl,
because we thought the United State
would be a member, and would, In
sense. be the leader and protector Of al
the States Of North and South America
We see now that we were badly mis-
taken. and that the United States prob
ably never will join the present league
This Causes us to think, and naturall,
we all are deeply interested In the out
come OF the forthcoming Washington
\ conference"
The International Court Of Justice. Of
which thu aope OF the League OF Nation
seems now largely to be centred. wa
foremost In the preoccupations OF tn
delegates Of the league assembly her
to-day. and likely viii remain so unit
the judges Of the court are elected, mex
week. The assembly committee In tn
meantime will establish basis for tn
work of the session on disarmament
| amendments and blockades.
Th@ time limit for nominations o
Judges closed Monday with eighty-nin
candidates put forward by thirty-tiv
dlfItrent States. Five of these sine
have been removed from the list on &C
cour; of Jeclinatlons to stand for elec
ton. Those who have Withdrawn ar
Leon Bourgeois and Henri Fromagerot
France: Paul Hymans. Belgium; Chris
tian l.. Lange, Norway. and Manuc
Gonzales, SPAIN
No Word From MT. Root.
No direct word has ye. been receive,
from Eiihu Root and the league council
stil considers him candidate. Leagu
officials to-day were endcavoriny to sc
In touch with Tomasso 'rittoni thu Ital
ian statesman now visiting the Unitr
States, who Is presumed to be the onl
man closely connected with the leagu
who knows exactly what are Mr.. Root
intentions regarding his nomination I
tie International bench.
The American group Of judges at tn
Hague court allowed the limit to expir
without sending In a nominee. The dele
| Cnfpa hara Ocperally anraed that n