Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-12
CHANGES SOUGHT
|NLEAGUE POLICY
Better Method of Handling
Minority Problems Advo-
Gated by States.
BY PAUL SCOTT MoNRER.

Correspondence of The Star and the Chicago
Daily News.
PARIS France. November 2O.-No
body is really satisfied with the new
regime for the protection of the rights
of minoritieS. The countries bound by
the regime feel that it goes too fan
and is a serious interference viii
their sovereignty. The ininorities them
selves. as we'll as the countries It
which some OF the minorities formerly
belonged, feel that il does not go far
enough
The struggle is conferred around the
question of procedure. The present
procedure is as follows:
Any government or any minority
or any fraction of minority that be
lieveS it has a Legitimate grievance
may send in petition to the League
Of Nations. The general secretary eX
smines the petition. If he finds that
it really cocerns the treaty provisions
that 1t is not Anonymous or insignlh
cant. that il is worded in judicial
and unabusive language and contains
elements not previously duly consid
cred by the league council. he sends II
10 the state against which complain
is made.
Procedure Outlined.
The state complained against may
challenge the admissibility Of the peti
ton. II 1t does, the question is de
cided by the president and two mem
bers OF the league council, sitting as a
committee. If the petition is admit
ted, the state complain against is
accorded three weeks, or d little longer
II for valid reason, to present a reply
The petition and reply are then pre-
scented to the league council as well as
10 any member state that asks to see
them. A committee consisting usually
OF the president and two members OF
the council, but none of whom may
represent q neighbor state or a state
concerned in the dispute In any way,
studies the documents. If this com
mittee thinks best or If any member
of the council so requests. the affair
is brought formally before the council
in plenary meeting. The petitioner
unless it be q government. is not rep
resented the state complained against
is represented. In case of difference
OF judicial opinion between the latter
and any member Of the council. the
dispute must be referred 10 the inter
national court. If there is no such DIFF
ference of opinion the council may act
as IL thinks best.
Many petitions have been received
ny the league. but only two thus far
which in both cases more or less alb
solved the state complained against.
Three Changes Suggested.
This situation has led to demand
for a reform OF procedure. The de-
mand finally took form at the last as
semb1y in the following proposals. put
forward by Hungary, which is warm
~ interested IN minorities now living
under Rumanisn sovereignty in Tran
sylvania.
/. Petitions from higher church
and educational minority orga niZations
shall automatically have a right to
examination by the council,
,. The petitioners, at all stages Of
the proceedings, shall have a right to
present their views through personal
representatives.
3. Whenever a judicial question of
any sort arises 1t shall be referred to
the court.
The Hungarian proposals have not
heen adopted, but the whole question
is still alive and raw Those particu-
larry interested In minorties are now
waiting for Germany to join the
league and have membership in the
council. Germany, 1t Is expected. will
lead the crusade for a maximum en-
forcement Of minorities' rights. Paul
Hymans, the Belgian delegate. after
listening last September TO the impas
stoned plea for the minorities put for
ward by Count Apponyi in Hungary s
name. remarked to a friend:
I'VE shall hear Herr Stresemann
make the same speech next year"
Fair Chance for Justice.
My opinion is that the new minori
ties regime marks an important ad-
to-, To- u
The league procedure can probably be
improved. Nevertheless. it has already
produced definite and benencent moral
effects, which are to be judged, not
by the decisions taken by the council
in the two cases already considered
hut by the fact that thus far only two
cases have seemed worthy to be heard
The system does lend itself TO abuse
Certain states have not Loyalty full
filed all the treaty clauses for minori
ties protection. Certain minorities.
encouraged by neighboring states
have sought 10 use the treaty provi-
sions and the league for purposes Of
irredentist propaganda and political
agitation. The council has shown,
however, that 1t intends to hold a just
balance, and Will be nobody's dupe.
States that have loyalty endeavored to
carry out their obligations have moth
ing to fear from 1t. Minorities that
have serious grievances will always
in time obtain fair hearing.
Years will possibly elapse before the
new minorities, morality Is definitely
accepted in writing by states not
already bound to 1t by treaty. Yet
even upon the states not so bound It's
very existence as an international
idea, approved in general by interna-
tional opinion, Is certain to exert a
moro or less definite influence.
At the last assembly meeting Irish
agents communicated to the press In
formation concerning the alleged OPP
preston Of the nationalist and Roman
Catholic minority in Protestant and
Unionist Ulster. The communication
was wholly unofficial and was perhaps
exaggerated; yet 1t served to call the
attention Of the British government
to the new interest which world opin-
ion is taking In all questions affecting
ininorities' rights
Copyright. 1925, by Chicago Daily News Co.