New-York tribune., 1921-10-05
League Council
Empowered to
Order Blockade
Assembly Amends Article
10 Relating TO Applica-
ton of Economic Pres
sure to Warning Country
Small Nations Protected
Argentina's Plea to Make
All Sovereign States
Members Is Postponed

GENEVA. Oct. 4 (By The Associated
Press).-The Assembly OF the League
OF Nations took definite action to-day
on two important matters. 1t unani
mously adopted an amendment to Arti-
Gle 16 of the league covenant relating
TO the blockading of any member re-
sorting to war in disregard of the pro-
visions of the covenant, and also a
resolution postponing consideration of
the amendment proposed last year bv
Argentina. providing that all sovereign
states should automatically become
members of the league.
Article 16, as amended, imposes unon
the Council the duty of giving an opin-
ION whether breach of the covenant
has taken place, and, in the event that
1t has, the Council will notify the
league members of the date which it
recommends for the application of eco
nomic pressure. The Council also is
empowered in certain cases, to post
pone the coming into force Of any of
the measures for specific period,
where there is possibility of attain
ing the desired object by this means.
Blockade Solely Of Territory
Switzerland, the Scandinavian coun-
tries and other smaller members gained
a point in the amendment of this arti-
Gle, which leaves way out of oblica-
tion to blockade when the Council NAV
consider that the proximity of mem
Der to a covenant breaking state puts
it in peril. Switzerland gained another
important concession in the substitu-
tion of persons residing in the terri
tory" for nationals" This makes the
blockade apply solely to a territory
and not TO persons.
What is characterized as "the slow
and sure" policy was applied to Argen-
tlna's proposition to make all sovereign
countries automatically members of the
league, and in the case of the amend
ment proposed by the Canadian Min
lister of Justice, Charles J. Dohcrty,
eliminating Article X. The latter was
sent oves for consideration at the next
Assembly.
The committees report and speeches
on Argentina's amendment showed that
the Assembly generally was in agree
ment with the South American state
on the question, but did not believe the
time was ripe for the passage of such
an amendment.
Judicial Settlements Covered
The Assembly rejected the Czecho-
Slovak amendment to Article 81, which
recognizes the Monroe Doctrine. 1t
was decided that the article as it
stands authorizes such regional agree
ments as the Czecho-Slovak amend
ment had in view
Amendments to Articles 10, l3, Ia
and Is, necesstated by the establish
ment of the international Court of Jus
tice, were adopted. AS amended the
articles cover judicial settlement as
we'll as arbitration.
The argument that the covenant of
the league is amending itself through
the interpretations that are given it
in the light of experience prevailed in
the Assembly to-day over the desire
Of many of the delegates to remodel it.
Further experience and more light. it
was decided, are necessary before the
document can be remodcled inteli-
gently; hence no changes were made
except those necessary to put the ma
chinery Of the league into operation.