Evening star., 1921-11-28
NEW
FEATURES SHOWN
Ex-senator Sutherland, as
Adviser to Delegates, De-
cIares League Differs.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

An Association of nations"-now
regarded as a probable development
of the present Washington conference
on limitation of armament-would be
a vastly different proposition from
the existing League of Nations. in the
opinion of former Senator George E.
Sutherland of Utah, chairman of the
American advisory committee.
Senator Sutherland pointed out that
such an association of nations as now
suggested would be an evolution. The
league of nations, on the other hand,
was completed structure, with every
brick in place, when it came from the
convention of nations held in Paris
the peace conference.
The proposed association of nations
would be voluntary organization Of
the nations. and every nation meet
ing in it's assemblies would beSthe
equal of every other nation,
The league OF nations, Senator
Sutherland said. has behind its de-
cisions force-war, the very thing
which the world is now trying to
avoid. Moreover through it's su-
premo council, consisting of the rep
.resentatives of FIVE nations. the
league of nations has set up super
government" and the nations COM
posing this supreme council are the
agents of this supergovernment.
They are put in a way above the rest
of the nations and in this way the
equality of the members of the league
is destroyed.
Denies Framing Plan.
The chairman of the advisory COM
mittee made it clear that he was not
attempting to outline a plan for the
proposed association of nations. Any
such plan, if there is one in contem-
plation. would come from other gov
ernmental sources. was the inference
drawn from his remarks.
Senator Sutherland made no COM
ment upon the opposition which has
been expressed by Senator Borah of
Idaho. one of the republican irrecon-
cilables. to the proposal for the asso-
citation Of nations. He indicated. how
ever, that an association of nations
as now proposed may never have to
come before the Senate of the United
States for ratification.
There would be no necessity for the
negotiation of a treaty to bring about
such an association. Senator Suther-
land said; though on the other hand it
might be deemed wise to put in into
treaty form. But as he visualized the
probable evolution of the association
from the Washington conference. an
treaty did not appear
likely or needful.
Conference an EvOlutiOn.>
The present Washington conference
Senator Sutherland pointed out. is an
evolution itself 1t started with. the
idea that only three nations, the United
States. Great Britain and Japan, should
meet to consider one subject. the limi-
tatioh of naval armament. 1t was
later determined that this should be ex-
panded SO that five nations should
take part.
Next the question of land armament
was included, and then it was deter
mined to bring into the conference the
problems of the Pacific, and four more
nations were invited to meet at the con-
ference table, making nine nations with
three major problems at the conference
here, when originally the plan had con-
templated only three with one subject
This. he said, lis a sample Of the
evolution which may result in an
association of nations.
A development Of the present con-
ference is that land armament can
not be dealt with while other nations
are on the outside, notably Germany,
has been the suggestion that these
nations may meet with those nov
here in a future conference, and even
that Germany and possibly some of
the others may be called into the
present conference before it concludes
its work.
Records Of Agreements.
While it would not be necessary.
perhaps. to have the proposed asso-
citation of nations created by formal
treaty. 81 nevertheless, agreements
reached upon important matters at
meetings of the conference might
well be put into treaty form, it was
suggested.
This would not necessarily always
be true. General principles might be
and general policies evolved at meet
ings Of the association which would
have all the weight of agreements
formally entered into by treaty with
out that step being necessary. The
Monroe Doctrine, it was pointed out
by Senator Sutherland. is not the re-
suit Of any treaty. but is recognized
as a principle governing international
relations in the western hemisphere.
I Senator Sutherland expressed him.
self as heartily in favor sof an inter-
national judicial tribunal to adjudi-
cate differences that may arise be-
tween nations. Such q tribunal, made
up of jurists, would act as a court,
rather than as an arbitration commits
sion, and for that reason would be
better able to do justice, for an ar
bitration commission would frequent
ly bring about merely a compromise.
1T is sometimes asked" Senator
Sutherland said, "how such an inter-
national court would enforce its de-
crees Once the nations had agreed to
submit their differences to court Of