Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-09-18
POWERS TO DEFINE
PEACE PLAN DUTIES
Each Nation Expected to List
What 1t Will Do Against
AggreSsor State.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associa ted Press.
GENEA, September lS-RepI1es
from the various governments as to
what they could do in the general
contribution of action against any
state adjudged an aggreSsor are
likely to form one of the features on
the agenda of the proposed interna-
uonal conference on disarmament.
The article in the protocol drafted
by DR. Benes Of CzechosIovakla con-
corning 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 it will offer. economically,
financially or militarily. in any
emergency. 1t is argued such assist
ance would provide something def
mite for the disa rmament conference
to work upon and give a more ra-
tlonal basis for a possible agreement
on the reduction of armaments.
Arbitration Clause Up.
The subcommissions today contln-
ued their detailed examination of the
arbitration clauses in the proposed
protocol and gave particular atten-
tion also to the examination of meas
ures to be adopted while arbitration
proceedings are going on between
dle eCleu States. ne SOdi lS cInllnd-
tion of the dangers of conflicts
breaking out while the arbltraI ma
chinery is being set in motion.
The subcommittee on arbitration
threw its weight today for the main
tenance of the unanimity rule in de-
cisions of the assembly commissions.
A unanimous vote is required in the
assembly itself, but Holland intro
duced proposal 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.
Plugging up every hole in the cove
nant of the League of Nations so that
nobody can crawl out and have an
excuse to start war is the pic
turesque phraseology now used in
Geneva to describe the efforts of the
statesmen and juristS to construct
protocol which will really make for
peace.
Paragraph s of article Is Of the
covenant declares that eff the dispute
between the parties is claimed by one
of them and is found by the council
to arise out of a matter which by in
ternational law is solely within the
domestic jurisdiction of that party,
the council shall so report and shall
make no recommendations as to it's
This is regarded as negative and as
leaving d hole in the covenant which
must be plugged. Raoul Fernandez
of Brazil, NJ. Politis of Greece and NJ
Loucheur of France have been
charged with this plugging opera
tion.
Position of French.
The French idea is that if the coun-
Gil is unanimous in declaring any dis
pute purely a domestic question, all
the members of the league must ac-
cept the decision and engage solemn
ly not to make the issue involved a
cause for war
position they have held for the last
week, and although they are careful
to reiterate that Great Britain in
tends to stand by the covenant and
all its sanctions, the British delegates
in the last "a hours have given indi-
cations of a kind of shrinking up in
attitude and a tendency to avoid COM
ment on the progress of the assembly
They seem to apprehend that any
unlimited commitment of the services
of the British fleet in the interest of
maintaining peace would meet with
disfavor at home. Hence their spokes-
men are careful to point out that it
cannot be expected that the British
fleet will Immediately participate in
any minor conflicts breaking out in
Europe, and that the British govern
ment must be permitted to decide on
it's course of action as each particu-
lar emergency arises.
There is a distinct feeling here that
Great Britain does not wish to excite
the apprehensions or misgivings of
the American people as to what the
British might do in connection with
American commerce in the event of
any conflict arising in Europe.
The French, however. continue to
express satisfaction with the progress
of the negotiations, and seem assured
that the protocol, with the backing
of Great Britain and with the author
ization of supplementary clauses, will
amply afford those guarantees which
they believe essential to the security
of their country.