Evening star., 1924-10-01
GEN. BLISS REGRETS
ACTION BY JAPAN
Attempt to Place Such Issues
as immigration Under
League Control DepIored.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE
critical proceedings at Geneva is with
held. but Japan's attempt to transfer
such questions as immigration to the ju-
riSdiction of the League of Nations is
strongly deprecated by Maj. Gen. Tas-
ker H Bliss, who has just returned to
Washington from Geneva. Gen. Bliss
attended the opening sessions of the
League Assembly during the first
fortnight of September as member
OF the unofficial American group
which worked out plan for disarma-
ment and security The American
plan forms the basis; of the so-called
"Benes protocol" which has been un-
der discussion at Geneva and which
Japan.is making such a desperate ef-
fort to amend. Gen. Bliss was the
military member of the American
peace mission at Paris and our rep
resentative on the Supreme War
Council.
Gen. Bliss Awaits Information.
Il should want to know more def
initely than the news dispatches in
dicate," said Gen Bliss in an inter-
view with this writer, Just what ia
pan is proposing. If her underlying
purpose is To give the league sover
eighty over purely domestic questions
like imm igration America could not,
and would not. sanction such an ar
rangement. If there were any real
hope that the United States would
ever enter the league. it would be
blasted by the establishment of such
d principle. 1t would automa tically
convert the league into a Superstate.
1t would subject not only immigra
ton. but some day perhaps a question
like the tariff, to league arbitrament.
| am sure there is no sentiment in
the United States in favor of that
sort OF thing"
Gen. Bliss doubts the accuracy of
the suggestion emanating from
Geneva that in certain contingencies
the United States itself might lie pill
loried by the Lnague of Nations as
an aggreSSor and face the combined
punitive powers of the league states,
as provided by the scheme now under
consideration. This. he thinks, would
be to invite the new world war which
il is the object of the league to pre-
vent.
Impressed by Proceedings.
My American colleagues and my
self" Gen. Bliss said were tre-
mendouSly impressed at Geneva by
the earneStneSS of the aSSembly'S eff
forts in the direction of world peace.
Every statesman there, including the
Japanese, seemed honestly to be Striv-
ing toward some workable method of
outlawing war If these efforts fail.
disarmament is almost out of the
question. In its stead competitive
armaments Will continue to pile up.
until the nations, large and small,
crack under the strain. There is no
question about the leagues anxiety
to get Somew here on disarmament
and security. The realization is uni
Nersal that. we'll organized and well
intentioned as the league is, it has
not yet achieved genuine progress
along those lines. Everybody seemed
conscious that the present assembly
marked a critical and crucial period
in the leagues existence"
Action Depends on Agendn
Gen. Bliss was asked if he considers
il likely that America will accept the
leagues invitation to its proposed dis
conference in 1925.
That depends" he replied. ION the
aGenda to be discussed. If the in
vitation makes it plain that America
would participate as an entirely free
agent, without obligation to talk
about matters which We hold to be
unde batable, and without obligation
to bind ourselves to decisions of
which We did not approve, l should
think it would be difficult to stand
aloof. | am sure We could go to
such d conference on our terms, just
we could undoubtedly join the
League of Nations under our own res
ervations. l would not like to see
the disarmament conference held at
Geneva That might give it too much
of a league smack to be palatable
to American public opinion. ] have
heard il suggested that the United
States might compose its own invita-
ton. That is another way of say
ing that we would be permitted to
lay down the precise conditions of
our participation"
American Scheme Favored
The American plan for disarmame mt
and security was taken to Geneva by
Gen. Bliss, DR.. James T. Shotwell of
Columbia University and David Hunt
er Miller of the New York bar three
of the group of 10 men who drew it
up last Winter and Spring. 1t was
already familiar to league leaders
like Premiers Macdonald and Her
riot. who mentioned it in their re-
cent addresses at Geneva. The
leagues own project, the treaty of
mutual assistance" having fallen
DT. beneS, premier OF CZScHO-
Slovakia, who was assigned to formu-
late a substitute, embra ced the Amer
lean scheme as the most practicable
alte rnative. Geneva dispatches mean
time have reported that it is the
American conception around which
the recent dramatic discussions at
the league palace ranged
The basic ideas of the American
plan," Gen. Bliss said. ARE few and
simple. Part ] defines aggressive
war, acts of aggressions and sane
tions. The high contracting parties
brand aggressive war an interna-
tional crime. undertake not to commit
it and say that any nation that goes
to war except for defense is guilty
of it. The World Court is clothed
of any signatory, to say whether the
crime, or the overt act, has or has
not been committed
Article on "Sanctions."
Part l also contains an article on
sanctions, to be appealed to, when
necessary, by, the other signatories
in order to enforce compliance with
the decree of the international court
These sanctions, however, are not
obligatory, but permissive and pro-
tect any or all powers resorting to
them against the claim that they are
violating the provisions of interna-
tional law. In my opinion. obligatory
sanctions to enforce the obligations of
any treaty among many states, which
obligations NAV come into effect in