Evening star., 1924-09-02
|MOVE TO BAR j. S.
ARMS PARLEY SEEN
IN LEAGUE CIRCLES
France Said to Oppose Any
Conference Not Under
World Body's Control.
SECURITY PACT BEFORE
DISARMING, PARIS AIM
Premiers Macdonald and Herriot
to Address Assembly on Thurs
|! day on Subject.
Nv the Associated Press.

~ the Associated Press.
GENEVA. September .. The
Smaller nations of Europe. especially
the members of the little entente,
manifested today their determination
to achieve some international pact
which they consider will really safe
guard their security when they Sc
lected Foreign Minister Duca of Ru-
mania to preside over the important
deliberations of the third assembly
commission which is to probe the
entire problem of disarmament and
security.
There seems here to be a distinct
movement, under the apparent leader
ship OF France. to insist that all in
ternational deliberations for the lin
itation Of ornaments shall be held
through the mechanism of the League
Of Nations. If this movement de-
velops it might sidetrack, it is
thought. the American Governments s
reported intention to convoke new
disarmament conference. unless it be
definitely linked with the league
Move Now Unofficial.
For the moment at least the move
ment IS entirely confined to the lobby
discussions of the delegates. 1t af-
firms the belief that the attempt to
make the limitation of armaments
wholly dependent on the establish
ment of a clean-cut pact of security
Is gathering force.
The spokesman for one European
delegation. expressing what he term
ed his personal views. said that iso-
'lated conferences similar TO that held
at Washington seemed out of place
while permanent institution like
the League of Nations existed, with
experts devoting years of study to
the technique and difficulties of re-
duclng arnamentS.
me impression prevails here that
those powers which feel most keen
~ about the question of security be-
l!eve that military force must exist
some where in the Background. even
when the security problem has been
solved. and, it is said. they will not
be satisfied with extension OF the
principle of arbitration AS a remedy
T'remiers viii Speak.
Thursday and Friday have been
definitely set apart from assembly de-
nate on disarment and security, with
. Prime Minister Macdonald of Great
Britain and Premier Herriot of France
the chief speakers
Greece came out strongly today for
the Armenians when she introduced a
resolution providing for the trans
fer Of the Armenian refugees to the
Caucasus and the creation there of
an Armenian national home
With NJ. Duca presiding. the third
assembly commission accorded spe-
"lal attention to the text of the re-
cent Rumanian reply to the proposed
pact for mutual assistance.
Reduction Is Qualified.
The document, which was written
by M. Duca himself, emphasizes that
Rumania is unable to assume the
grave responsibility of reducing her
arma ment unless she is offered really
enectiVe guarantees of security and
NJ. Duca says that he finds the draft
pact inadequate in this respect
SO long as there exists side by side
nations which disarm and nations
which continued to arm. the Ru-
manian foreign minister asserts that
pit is impossible for true disarmament
to be attained or for serious guaran-
tees to he offered the disarminr
countries. M. Duca insists that any
effective treaty must have truly
general character and he thinks that
the possibility of conditional or par
tial adhesion depriveS the pact of its
real efficacy.
Aggression Not Defined.
Moreover. declares NJ. Duca, the pact
does not define the facts which consti-
tute aggression, fails to provide suf-
hciently rapid military action in the
case OF aggression and even permits
the council of the league to decide
whether military or economic sanctions
viii be applied againststhe aggressor
state.
Finally the Rumanian reply declares
authorized denunciation of the treaty
by any one Of the great powers repre-
scented in the council, deprives the
signatory states which have already
reduced their armies of every guar
antee and itself renders the pact in
admissible.
II pact providing more effective
guarantees can be discovered the for
eign minister continues, 1t will have
the support of Rumania, which, having
achieved national unity. seeks to de-
vote her resources to the work of the
conSolidation of progress.
In view of the emphasis placed in
the League of Nations assembly on
the desirability Of wider acceptance
of the policy of obligatory arbitra-
tion, the delegates are looking into
the question Of exactly where the
@Soe oS SeoiuS w Ill reference TO dC-
Iceptance of the optional clause in the
protocol of the Permanent Court of
Justice.
Commits Consentink Nations.
This clause commits consenting ma
Itfons to accept the World Courts
jurisdiction in all legal disputes con-
|cerning Interpretation of treaties, on
|any question of International law, on
1.-THE Interpretation of facts which if es-
|tablished would constitute a breach
Eof an international obligation and on
Ithe nature and extent of the repara-
'tion due for a proved breach.
Fifteen states already have ratified
khis optional clause, although this
humber includes none Of the great
bowers. Among the countries of
Latin America Brazil, Uruguay and
Haiti have ratified the protocol. In
hddition five countries-Costa Rica,
Panama, Salvador, Liberia and Lux
embourg--have signed or accepted
he protocol without ratification.
President Motta opened the second
lay OF the League of Nations assem-
bly, today at the stroke of noon by
announcing the formation of the six
Commissions Of the assembly. They
heal with legal and constitutional
Questions. technical organisation. re-
buction of ornaments, budgetary and
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