Evening star., 1923-08-27
BY THE MARaUIsE DE FoNTENoY.

Although the public at large seems
to be unaware of the fact, there is
danger of war breaking out in Can
ada. The news comes, not from
across the northern border line of the
United States, but from Geneva, where
Deskeyeh. chief of the Six Nations,
that is to say, of the Indians of
his romantic headdress of feathers to
present an appeal to the annual as
sembly of the league. which is now
meeting, to come to the rescue of
the Six Nations, under clause II of
the charter of the league, which au-
thorizes the council to intervene in any
dispute threatening war
The Six Nations proclaim them
selves an independent nation, or fed
Grafton of nations, and insist that
they are in imminent danger of in
vasion by the Canadian government.
which they intend to resist to the
last man. 1t seems to be true that
ever since the treaty of 1884 these
red men. whose tribes came from
south of the border line, have en-
joyed home rule in the territories
granted them on the Grand river by
King George III, who gave the land
to his faithful allies in recompense
of their valuable, assistance in the
war with America in which they lost
their ancient domains" in what is
now the United States. They have
had until now their own assembly
and have managed to preserve
many of their old rights. But they
are a thorn in the flesh of the pres
ent conservative regime in the Do
minion, which finds in them an OBJ
-NIS A.
prevailing elsewhere in the Dominion,
and which, the Indians are firmly con-
vinced, is bent on deprving them of
their autonomy in defiance of their
treaty with King George.
X 4 X
There are only about 5000 red men
left of the Six Tribes. mainly of the
Iroquois, and they have gone to a
good deal of expense in order to send
their Chieftain to Geneva for the pur
pose of pushing their appeal to the
league of nations, after having al
ready presented a petition to King
George V. who has referred it to the
judicial committee of his privy coun-
Gil. Although the Six Nations have
undoubtedly right and justice on their
side yet their cause looks very much
The league. which has already
enough trouble and a sufficient num-
Der of thorny problems on IFS hands,
will. despite the provisions of it's
covenant and charter. hesitate about
intervention in the administration of
an entirely self-ruling colonial de-
tendency of the confederation known
az the British Empire, while the pres
ent conservative cabinet of William
Mackenzie King al Ottawa has shown
itself so determined to go on its way
without regard to the views and poll
cies of either crown or government in
London that the Duke of Devonshire,
former governor general of the Do
minion end now secretary of state for
the colonies in the Stanley Baldwin
cabinet. will not particularly relish
the idea of creating a fresh cause of
friction by intervening at Ottawa in
behalf of the Six Nations. whose in
dependence, 1t Is contended there, con-
stitutes an anachronism.
X X X
Since the Rt. Hon. William Crosby
Gore, undersecretary of state for the
colonies in London, has informed par
lament the other day that in view of
the slashing economies rendered i'm
perative through the drain on the
national eXchequer to meet its finan
cal obligations to the United States.
| II would be impossible to continue the
subsidies paid to a number of Asiatic
potentates the outlook In the Orient
has become very somber. The cutting