Evening star., 1925-05-07
Prohibition of Expectation
Asked in Article He Says
America Favors.
DELEGATES OF NATIONS
EXPRESS APPRECIATION
Only Objections Based on Indus
trial Effect, Says American
Representative at Geneva.
BY the Associated Press.

by the Associated Press.
GENEVA, May 7.-Condemnation of
the use of poison gas and prohibition
of it's expectation for war purposes Is
proposed in new article of the draft
convention offered by Representative
Theodore L. Burton of Ohio, heading
the American delegation, at today's
session of the international conference
for control of the traffic in arms.
Mr.. Burton said he expressed the
desire of the American Government
and people that some such provision
regarding poison gas be adopted. He
said the subject had been brought to
the attention of President Coolidge
and that the President will approve
a prohibition of the expectation OF
poison gas for war purposes. He re.
called that nine of the powers that
signed the Washington treaty agreed
to try to induce other powers to agree
to measures forbidding the use of
asphyxiating gases in warfare, but he
admitted that there are obstacles to
prohibiting the export of such gases.
Condemned by Public.
The article proposed by Mr.. Burton
declares that the use in war of poison
condemned by public opinion, and that
the prohibition of such use has been
incorporated in treaties which have
been signed by a ajority of the civil
liZed powers.
THE high contracting parties there.
fore agree absolutely to prohibit the
export from their territory of any such
sphyxiating, poisonous or other
gases and all analogous liquids in
tended or designed for use in con-
nection with the operations of war
the article says.
Mr.. Burton also submitted an alter
native text, as follows:
ITO. the end of lessening the horrors
of war and ameliorating the suffer
ings of humanity incident thereto, the
high contracting parties agree to con.
troll the traffic in poisonous gases by
prohibiting the exportAtion Of all
gases and all analogous Iiquids, ma
terials and devices manufactured and
intended for use In warfare, under
adequate penalties applicable In all
places where such high. contracting
parties exercise jurisdiction or con-
troll" The Burton proposal was re-
ferred to a committee Of experts.
Delegates Express Favor.
, Before the Burton proposal was re-
ferred to a committee of experts. dele
gates from France, Italy and China
expressed themselves in favor OF the
proposal.
Mr. Burton said the objections that
he has heard to the plan are that
prohibition of the export of poisonous
gases may give an Industrial advan-
age to some countries. He said the
object of the conference should be to
J,el. Cd nf hot
countries that can manufacture gases
and those that cannot, because, he
said some of these gases are needed
for industrial purposes.
Russia's absence from the League
of Nations again came into discus
sion today. The original draft of the
convention for the control of traffic
in arms provided that 1t shall become
effective when ratified by IL powers,
including Russia. the United States,
France, Great Britain, Italy, Belgium
and Japan.
The convention proposed by Great
Britain eliminates Russia from the re-
quired signatory nations and the uues-
ton was raised today that since Rus
sia refuses to participate in the confer
ence she will not ratify the conven-
ton and therefore that the original
draft should be changed in that re-
spect. Upon the contrary, it was sug
rested that if Russia is not included In
the agreement other nations may re-
fuse to sign 1t.
Action upon the problem was de-
ferred until the question of ratifying
the convention is reached.
NJ. Sosknowsi, delegate from Poland.
said Mr. Burton's proposal would make
war less horrible, but moved an
amendment prohibiting also the expor-
,ation Of bacteria for war purposes,
which, he said, was as inhuman as
poison gas.
The Hungarian delegation suggested
an amendment permitting the export
of means of defense against chem
ical warfare.
STEP IN DISARMAMENT.