Evening star., 1925-05-17
STAND BY BURTON
BRINGS ARMS CUT
PARLEY TO CRISIS
U. S. Refusal to Let League
Name Council Stands in
Warm Debate.
COMMITTEE Is CHOSEN
TO SETTLE CONTROVERSY
Amicable Adjustment Is Seen, But
Atmosphere Continues to
Be Tense.
By the Associated Press.

Be Tense.
BY the Associated Press.
GENEVA, May 16.-The first round
in the fight to determine whether the
United States can continue to collabo
rate with the League of Nations
without undertaking any official rela
tions with the league was staged in a
tense atmosphere in Geneva today
and apparently ended with an Ameri
can advantage. However, the United
States did not return to it's corner at
the arms traffic conference without
receiving several glancing blows.
The combat hinged on whether or
not the central office for the reception
and coordination of statistics of the
traffic in arms will be established by
the league council. The draft con
vention project says yes" but the
United States says no" and today
Representative Theodore Z. Burton
explained why it must be no
Burton's Point Clear.
The burden of Mr. Burton's argu-
ment was that inasmuch as the United
States was not member of the league
it was difficult for it TO accept a
treaty which institutes an organiza-
ton which will be directed by the
league. Those countries adhering TO
the league countered this argument
by proposing that the United States
and Germany be added to the league
council when it meets to appoint the
central arms board.
The representatives of the other
| lea yrhn ho1iaraH n he
straining every effort to maintain
what they call Americas friendly at
titude to the league, went to the limit
of suggesting complete abandonment
of the proposed central board.
In this way the delicate problem
raised by the American delegation
! ceases to exist. the league members,
who total 55, are not asked to foresake
| their loyalty to the Geneva institution,
and the chances that the United States
will ratify the proposed arms con
! vention are considered to be vastly i'm
! proved.
Committee Will Act.
Finally. the whole problem was sent
| to a special committee of 10, of which
the president will be DIR. Guerrer of
Salvador, who is vice president of the
conference. In view of the grave i'm
portance of the issue the conference
decided not to sit Monday morning In
order to leave that period entirely free
for this committees delegations.
Today session indicated the confer
ence's anxiety to please the United
States and the existence of confidence
that a formula will be found to salts
fy American scruples without damag-
ing the league itself. Yet it seems
clear that the conference has reach
ed a real crisis. AS in the case. Of
| the central opium board at the opium
conference, from which the American
delegation withdrew, the delegates
from the league countries desire to
strengthen the league as an interna-
tional institution by having the cen
trail arms board function under its
auspices.
Step Held Obligatory.
The league 5venant itself makes
this obligatory. The Wilsonian pact
commits not only all the members
to exchange information about arma-
ments through the medium of the
league secretariat, but declares that
all international bureaus, on what
ever subject, to be hereafter created
shall be operated under the league.
! These members, therefore, are in q
quandary and are wondering how far
they are entitled to go in trying to
4 meet <AHlSIlCdH ODJeCllOHS. 1n6N
frankly admit that observance of.
American wishes puts them to the
diSagreeable necessity of going back
on the covenant TO which they sub
scribed.
Privately also they seem resentful
and impatie that what they term
'the excessive fears of the American
Senate should bring them to this
dilemma. Many say they cannot un-
6arStand Sfo Of ind
so distrustful of the league that i
presumably cannot even agree to sit
with the council in the appointment
of board of statisticians, which will
have no power of control over arma-
ments, but will merely compile and
docket information on this subject.
On the other hand, it is admitted
that the conference now going on in
Geneva, while called by the league, is
sovereign in itself and that, in ac-
cepting an invitation to it,, the United
States has not thereby inferentially
accepted any form of league relation
ship in the operation of the postponed
convention.
Mr.. Burton argued today against
the drafting of any convention which
would entail conditional or partial ad-
herence by the United States. and
added to this a protest against the
draft project clause which makes IL
possible for any signatory power Ia
say whether any partial adherence iuI-
perils the success of arms traffic A.
pervision.
Spanish Envoy Caustic.
Spain and Rumania were the par
ticular nations speaking caustically
about the United States today. En-
lilo de Palacios, the Spanish delegate.
said he could not see any possible rea-
son why the United States could not
accept his suggestion to cooperate
with the league council in the nomina-
ton of the central board, because such
cooperation would in no wise prejudice
in advance the attitude of the United
States toward the League of Nations
The sensational discourse of the ses-
sion however, was delivered by NJ.
Comnene, Rumanian Minister to Swift
zerland and one of the strongest ad-
vocates of the league. He quite under
stood, he said, that the United States
wished to guard her full liberty of
action, but he was convinced that all
league members wished to prevent
any blow from being directed against
an institution founded for the good OF
humanity and dedicated to high ideal
ism.
Swinging on his feet and shaking