The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-19
REGIONAL LEAGUES MAY BE DISCUSSED BY PAN-A|ME R|CANS
Uruguay to Urge Plan for Western Association of Nations at Conference
 in Santiago

MoNTEvIDEO, Uruguay, March 1S (By Associated Press.1-Organizatio of the League of Nations as a system of regional leagues is proposed by Dr. Baltasar Brum, president of Uru- quay, in an article entitled World Solidarity" given to the Associated Press, in which he elaborates and de- fends his project for a league of American nations which Uruguay ex- poets to urge at the forthcoming Pan- American conference in Santiago.
 Taking note that this project, which he first outlined in April, 1920, in an address to the students of the University of Montevideo, had been criticised as one which would conflict with the League of Nations, Dr. Brum seeks to show that, on the contrary, an American league would serve to strengthen it and give it prestige. It could be a regional league within the League of Nations.
 O O O
 Other Leagues.
 Other regional leagues could be formed, such as the Baltic league, the Danubian league, the Balkan league. the Mediterranean league, the Far East league, and the Near East league, each of which would settle its own troubles, except when such
  the whole world or that of another league. In such cases the general League of Nations would step in, or act as a court of last appeal.
 This system of leagues within league is the federal scheme applied to the world, pr. Brum points out, and, in defending the practicability of it's application. he cites the con federations of the United States ana the British Empire as examples of success in governing diversified political subdivisions, races, density of population distance and territorial extension.
 Shows UnequivOcal Form.
 History shows us in unequivocal form" Dr. Brum writes, that the federal system-that based on the existence of autonomous states with a common government for matters of general interest-is the most ap- propriate to rule vast territorles. Why not adopt this system for the government of the confederated na- tions?
 "If the federal principles are in- djspensable in founding great na- ton, with greater reason must they be when it is intended to create an  affairs of all countries of the world, affairs that have evident analogy to those of states which form confed- erated nations.
 "A world institution that intends to deal with all kinds of subjects would have to contend. without doubt, with the following difficulties; First. the absolute impossibility for central organ to attend properly to the multitude of questions that arise in the world. Second, the indif- ference of many countries to prob lems of a local character, an indif- ference that would persist unless, through some event, they should &C., quire greater importance.
 Second Difficulty.
 "The second difficulty would mako impossible the life of the league just as it would be a menace to the ex- istence of the British Empire if the cabinet of St. James should pretend to resolve the problems of an Aus tralian municipality. If the League of Natio ns were called upon to study conflict between Honduras and Nicaragua, it might happen that the representatives of China and Sweden in the league would be we'll acquainted with it, but it is very probable that the people of China and Sweden would look upon it with in- difference. Consequently, any de- cision of the council in such mat ters would lack prestige of decision enthusiastically backed up by all nations represented in 1t.
 These facts are manifestly true, and necessarily induce us to main tain that any organization it is in- tended to give to the world would be analogous to that of federal coun- tries. that is to say, regional or au- tonomous organizations for certain matters. and central one for those of general interest that affect more than one region, or are appropriate for treatment on appeal. for the cen tral authority would have to take the place of court of last appeal. Purpose of Leagues.
 These autonomous organizations would be regional leagues such as the Pan-Amercan league, which, for ex- ample. would have the purpose If:
 1. Fomenting friendship among its members;
 2. Resolving inter-American ques- ticns:
 O. DSlcHuiuS uclOTc tHc 1cdSuc Ol Nations the rights of members who might be in conflict with countries of other continents;
 1. Lending moral and material aid to the solution of problems of gen. eral world interest or that relate to the peace of the world.
 ''The League of Nations in turn would occupy itself with;
 l. Affairs that relate to the tram quility or well-being of the world:
 2. Those that affect the interest of two regional leagues;
 3. Those that regional leagues ap- peal to it.
 The League of Nations would by this means find itself free of the multitude of secondary questions that perturb it's deliberations and pre- vent it dedicating itself to funda- mentals. and thus avoid the bad im- pression we receive when it does not intervene in certain regional conflicts. either because they do not interest the majority of members, or take place at long distance. These could be treated in worthy manner by the respective regional leagues without prejudice to the right of the League of Nations to intervene should they acquire such proportions as to compromise the general peace, that is to say, to af- feet the interests of all.''
 pr. Brum points out also that or