Perth Amboy evening news., 1924-09-18
SEEK PROTOCOL
To MAKE PEACE
OF WORLD SURE
Plug Up Every Hole in Cove
nant of League in Session
at Geneva
NO WAY TO CRAWL OUT
Paragraph 8 Deals with This
and Much Time Has
Been Spnt on 1t

GENEVA, Sept. IS (By The Asso-
ciated Press) Replies from the
various governments as to what they
could do in the general contribution
of action under sanctions to come
into play against any state adjudged
an aggressor are likely to form one
of the chief features on the agenda
of the proposed international confer
ence on disarmament.
The article in the protocol drafted
by DIR. Benes of Czecho- -Slovakia con-
cerning the application of penalties
Is quite general in its nature and
many of the delegates think it will
be necessary to obtain from each
government some concrete outline of
what 1t will offer economically,
financially or mil.tarily, in any emer-
gency. 1t is argued such assistance
would provide something definite for
the disarmament conference to work
upon and gave more rational basis
for possible agreement on the re-
duction of armaments.
The ub-commissions today con-
tinued their detailed examination of
the arbitration clauses in the pro-
posed protocol and gave particular
attention also to the examination of
measures to be adopted while arbi-
tration proceedings are going on be-
tween affected states. The goal is
to eliminate the dangers of conflicts
breaking out while the arbitral ma
chinery is being set in motion.
The subcommittee on arbitration
threw its weight today for the main
tenance of the unanim.ty rule in de-
cisions of the assembly commissions.
A unanimous vote is required of the
assembly itself, but Holland intro
duced a propoal to permit the COM
missions to reach decisions by a ma
jority vote on questions involving
resolutions requiring the approval of
the government. This proposal was
rejected.
GENEVA. Sept. 18 (By The Asso-
ciated Press) Plugging up every
hole in the covenant of the League
of Nations so that nobody can crawl
onut and have an excuse to start a
war is the picturesque phraseology
now used in Geneva to describe the
efforts of the statesmen and iurists
to construct a portocol which will
really make for peace.
Paragraph eight of article fifteen
of the covenant declares that "'if the
dispute between the parties is claim
by the council to arise out of n
matter which by international law
is solely within the domestic iuris-
diction of that party. the council
shall so report and shall make no
recommendations as to its settle
ment.'
Everybody regards this as negat
tive and as leaving hole in the
covenant which must be plugged
Raoul Fernandez of Brazil. M. Poll
tbs of Greece and NJ. Loucher of
France have been charged with this
plugging operation, and are begin
ming their study of the question to-
day.
The French idea Is that. IL the
council is unanimous in declaring
any dispute purely a domestic ques-
tion. all the members of the League
must accept it's decision and engage
solemnly not to make the issue in
volved a cause for war.
Although making no change in
the position they have held for the
last week and although they are
careful to reiterate that Great Brit
ain intends to stand by the covenant
and all its sanctions, the British
delegates in the last twenty-four
hours have given indications of
kind OF shrinking up In attitude and
a tendency to avoid comment on the
progress of the assembly.
They seem to apprehend that any
unlimited commitment of the SER
vices of the British fleet In the in
terest of maintaining peace would
meet with disfavor at home. Hence
their spokesmen are careful to point
out that 1t cannot be expected that
the British fleet will Immediately
participate in any minor conflicts
breaking out in Europe and that the
British government must be permit
ted to decide on its course of action
as each particular emergency arises.
There is a distinct feeling here
that Great Britain does not wish to
excite the apprehensions or mlsgiv-
ings of the American people as to
what the British might do In con.
nection with American commerce In
the event of any conflict arising in
Europe.