Evening star., 1922-09-04

CONTINUED from First PageD
the sastening of general disarma-
ment.
Everywhere in Europe hope is ex-
pressed that the congressional cleo
tions in November may indicate
change in American opinion favor
able to international cooperation. but
1t is generally believed that there
is no possibility of the United States
actually entering the league until
after the presidential election in
1924. the outcome of which nobody
ventures to predict.
Answers League Letters.
A year ago the Harding admins
tration was still in the stage where
it did not recognize the leagues ex-
istence and where it ignored the
leagues various letters and COM
munications.
This undignifed pettiness, however.
soon vanished. Secretary Hughes sud
denly acknowledged all the piled-up
communications simultaneously, and
President Harding began to repeat
that he considered the league good
thing for Europe At the Washing
ton conference the United States car
ried on negotiations with Japan con-
CeTnlNS zap III IHe COuESe VI "HiCE
the existence of the league was for
the first ime officially recognized.
When the Washington conference
began it was still generally understood
that President Harding had in mind
the formation of an association of ma
tions which would be sort of rival
of the league. Presently. however, he
explained that what he meant was the
Washington conference itself. or ma
tions in association" and since then
nothing more has been heard of the
projected rival association, although
the international jurists now meeting
at Grenoble, France, have discussed
the possibility of developing a separate
pan-American league which would
then form kind of federation or al
lance with the existing league.
Following the Washington confer
ence the United States succeeded in
arranging for the arbitration of the
celebrated Tacna-Arica dispute be-
tween Chile and Peru, thereby sue
ceeding where the league had failed.
Meanwhile the league had accen-
tuated its policy of ignoring the
American Sights and persisting in It's
earnest desire to cooperate with the
United States on any basis whatever
The league thus proposed itself as the
agency for the extension of the WASH
fnston naval agreement to others than
the hve signatory powers. The United
states consented. The league, there
fore. now intends to call a special con-
ference of all the naval states that
are members of the league to discuss
this extension. which Great Britain
in1particular urgently desires.
>.tV Poison Gas Question.
The formal refusal of the United
States to ratify the ST. Germain con-
~vention regulating the manufacture
adssale of arms is being met by the
hague with proposal to seek a basis
- - -.
safety the United States. Concern
@tng sthe Washington poison gas con-
Sention. however, the leagues COM
rlfyeion considers that there can be
no, question of the leagues members
ratifying it until after the United
text.
On the whole. while it Is realized
that American hostility to the league
is still active. the situation, never
theless. is thought to be improved.
The increasing interest manifested
toHard the league by more than a few
A terican travellers, private citizens
a&dA institutions. a number of which
are e6-operating in various phases of
the leagues work. is also considered
, encouraging.
u The. leagues principal successes in
the course of the last year have been:
. Continued satisfactory administra ton
of the Sarre basin and the free city
of rDanZig-
The stopping of hostilities over Wilma
between Poland and Lithuania, though
ne settlement of the dispute itself has
yet been effected.
Successful settlement Of the quarrel
and hostilities between Albania and
Jugoslayia.
Successful arbitration of the Upper
Silesian dispute.
Successful Inauguration and first ses-
sion of the permanent court of inter-
national justice.
The League Program.
The program of the present assembly
Is heavy one. including the follow
ing items: Admission of Hungary;
eventual admission of Germany; salvag-
ing of Austria: status of Eastern Ca
licia ratification: A and B mandates;
treatment of minorities; limitation of
armaments; the opium traffic; white
slavery; Turkish deportations; Russian
relief and the fight against epidemics.
The favorite candidates for president
Of the assembly are NJ Edwards of
Chile and Hjalmar Granting Of Sweden.