Evening star., 1925-02-16
Scrapping the Protocol.

Scrapping the Protocol.
From Europe come vigorous denials
OF intention to scrap the Geneva pro-
tocol for arbitration. security and dis
armament, but there are accumulat.
ing evidences that the protocol is in
process of being scrapped. The EN-.
inent statesmen who drafted the pro-
tocol regarded disarmament as its
heart, just as the celebrated Article x
was regarded as the heart of the
covenant Of the League of Nations. 1t
had been intended that the coming
into force Of the protocol should await
and be contingent upon an agreement
for the limitation Of armaments. But
now this definite program apparently
has been abandoned and superseded by
the hope that disarmament may be
accomplished in some other way, pref.
erably upon American initiative.
The protocol provides that an inter
national conference for the reduction
of armaments shall convene at Geneva
on June Is next. and that a program
for reduction and limitation of arma-
ments shall be drafted by the council
Of the League Of Nations and submit.
ted to the accepting governments by
March Is. 1t is provided also that if
by May I ratifications Of the protocol
have not been deposited by three of
the four great power members of the
prif
and Japan, and by TO- other league
members, the conference shall be ad-
journed to a future date. So far
France is the only one Of the four
great powers which has ratified the
protocol. and there appear slight pros
poets that there will be ratification by
two Of the other powers by May 1. AS
1t is specifically provided the protocol
shall not become binding until the
designated ratifications have been de.
posted and plan for the reduction of
armaments adopted, it is difficult to
believe the Geneva protocol is not
destined to go the way of other high
aspirations which have come into con-
fiict with national interests.
Failure Of other powers to ratify
the protocol seems to be due chiefly to
the fact that Great Britain has not
ratified it, and to settled conviction
that without British cooperation the
program could not be made to work.
British failure to ratify apparently is
due to opposition from the dominions,
ana the dominions are opposed be-
cause OF a last-minute provision In
serted at the instance of Japan. It had
been agreed that the provision for
compulsory arbitration should not ap
ply to "a matter which by interna-
tional law is solely within the domes-
tic jurisdiction" But Japan, plainly
having in mind the question Of Amer
lean immigration, sought and obtained
q modification that because q matter
in dispute was held to be domestic
need not prevent consideration Of the
situation" by the council or assembly
Of the League Of Nations. which, un.
der powers granted by Article II Of
the covenant, would be authorized in
the event Of war or threatened war to
take any action that may be deemed
wise and effectual to safeguard the
peace of nations"
The effect Of this provision would be
that while the sanctions stipulated In
the protocol could not be employed
against a nation which refused to arbi-
trate domestic" dispute, such a ma
ton would face the possibility Of
being held UP TO moral obloquy
through pronouncement by the
league. And the British dominions DO
not intend the government at London
shall sign a compact which might
operate to fasten moral guilt upon
them because they refused to admit
emigrants from Japan.
But even IL the Geneva protocol is
destined to fail because of provisions
which the necessity for compromise
forced into it, the fact remains that
the mere drafting Of such An instru.
ment by responsible statesmen Is a
long forward stride toward outlawing
war. 1t recognizes that the right Of
the world to peace is paramount to the
right of an individual nation to make
war, and some day in some way this
world aspiration for peace will be
translated into a compact that will
bind the nations to exhaust all other
resources of settlement before they re-
sort to arms.