Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1921-10-04
LEAGUE
AMENDS
ARTICLE
Opposition Of Small
Powers to Blockade
regulations Results
in Revision.

Geneva Oct. 4.-Eight small
states, members of the league OF
nations, resumed in this morning
session of the assembly of the
league their fight against the too
rigid application of blockade
regulations, which are prescribed
ss one of the weapons to be used
by the league against a state
which has violated the covenant OF
the organization.
Greece has been especially ac-
tive in her effort to bring about
an amendment of article 16 OF the
covenant of the league. as that no
etates can initiate blockade on
its own account without previous
notification from the council OF
the league that the blockade OF a
covenant breaker is in order.
A Greek amendment to article
16. which would provide that in
diyidual states would not exercise
the right of blockade until a de-
tached had been fixed by the coun-
Gil, was lost.
Several amendments proposed
by the committee were adopted
without modification. The princi-
nal changes made were in the pro-
vision for an adjournment OF a
blockade by particular states,
which in the judgment of the
council, run too great risk from
a neighbor which has violated the
covenant. An additional clause
stipulated the council would give
an opinion where a breach of the
covenant had taken place.
The text of article 16 Of the
leagues covenant as amended
unanimously by the assembly to-
day reads:
Should any member of the
league resort to war in disregard
of its covenants under Article IL,
13 or Is, it shall Immediately ipso
facto be deemed to have committed
an act Of war against all other
members of the league, which
hereby undertake Immediately to
subject it to the severance of all
trade or financial relations. the
prohibition of all. intercourse be-
tween persons residing in their
territory and persons residing in
the territory of the covenant
breaking state, and the prevention
of all financial, commercial or per-
sonal intercourse between persons
residing in the territory of the
covenant breaking state and the
territory of any. other state,
whether member of the league or
not.
1T shall be the duty of the
council to give an opinion whether
or not a breach of the covenant
has taken place. In the interpre-
tation of this question in the
council the vote of the members
of the league alleged to have re-
sorted to war, as of the members
against who such action was di-
rected, shall not be counted. The
council will notify all members of
the league of the date which it
recommends for the application of
economic pressureu nder this ar
ticle. Nevertheless, the council
may, in the case of any particular
member, postpone the. coming into
force of any of these measures for
a specific period, where the coun-
Gil is satisfied that such postpone
ment will facilitate the attain
ment OF the object of the measures
referred to in the preceding para
graph, or that it is necessary in
order to minimize the loss and in
convenience which will be caused
TO such member"
The amended text takes the
place Of the first paragraph of
article l6 of the original covenant
endlng with the words whether a
member of the league or not" The
last three paragraphs of the arti-
Gle remain unchanged.