Seward daily gateway., 1924-12-26
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WHAT WILL THE LEAGUE DO?

Again concrete situation in which the func- tions of the league of nations agency for peace are involved has arisen in EurOpe-ths time with Great Britain, of the leading members of the league council, the center of interest account of the protest of the Egyptian parliament against the British ultimatum for the assassination of the governor general ul Soudan and srdar of the Egyp- tian army.
 The murder of the popular British representa- tive in Egypt naturally caused intense indignation in England and the British government took summary action in demanding reparation.
 In its appeal to the league, of which it is not a member the Egyptian parliament seeks indirectly to make this parallel with that in Serbia which led to the World when the Austro- Hun- garian government made excessive demands for the murder of the Austrian archduke. ''These aggres- sions, " it says: (which encroach upon Egyptian in dependence violate its constitution and men, to its economic life and have no precedent i'll history" The demands are branded 'iniquous, ' Absolutely illegal'' and manifest ''imperiastic cupdity.'
 Egypt made independent and sovereign nation by the British house of commons in 1922 and King Faud placed on the throne, but Great Britain retained the right to shape Egypts foreign policy and so notified the powers. ''The declara ton of Egyptian independence, " says the London Times, "was explicitly limited from the first by a sort of Monroe doctrine safeguarding specific Brit ish interests such as that which safeguards Amer- can interests in Cuba. .'
 The British viewpoint, so far as the league is concerned therefore Is that this is domestic ques ton, not subject to outside interference Sugges- tons in that direction are termed 'audacious' by the Daily Mail while the Daily Express says that if any attempt made to submit the issue to the league for arbitration it will sound the death knen of the league"
 Not being member of the league, Egypt des- pite its protest to Geneva has authority to take the question before the league although any other member may do so Under the league covenant any threat of is appropriate subject for consideration.
 The incident-particularly if the league actu ally tries to take hand in the affair-s not likely to strengthen the leagues position, for already the league has proved itself helpless where controversies involving the great powers arise, and Great Brit ain would undoubtedly defy it on showdown, just as Mussoni defied the league during the incident with Greece. One London newspaper remarks that had the Geneva protocol, designed to strengthen the league been operative and ratified by Great Britain the question of idemnity would have been subject to arbitration. The British government has delayed ratification of the protocol and it is extreme ly doubtful that it ever will receive British tion.
 One thing to be said in favor of the policy of the league is that it has the wisdom of caution and seldom rushes in where angels fear to tread. It is not likely to place itself in position where 1t will be humiliated by British defiance. In other worlds it probably again will demonstrate it's impotency, under existing conditions, to intervene in major league crisis.