Evening star., 1928-02-07
The Specter of Intervention.

Intervention. which has been waiting
AZ Havana like a ghost that is speech
less till some questioning voice dis
solves the spell of its silence" now pre-
sents itself in the full light of day.
The questioning voices have come from
Argentina. Salvador. Guatemala. Do
1!nican Republic. Honduras and Mexi-
co. Divested of its Shroud of mystery
how terrifying is this gaunt specter?
WIN the unwelcome intrusion of this
rude apparition scatter the delegates
rcuSe them TO flee from the erstwhile
sunny shores of Cuba to the under
;t,ndng safety of their homelands?
Intervention has been pictured as the
-cck which would split the conference
81 Havana. Now 1t looms ahead. To
understand its nature it is necessary to
-eview briefly its history as 1t concerns
he Havana conference. The preceding
conference at Santiago. Chile, in 1928,
appointed a commission of jurists to
draft code of international law. After
many delays the commission met at
Rio de Janeiro last year and adopted
number of projects for this codiflca-
ton. AT Havana they were referred
20 the committee on public interna-
eional law. Victor Maurtua of Peru.
The committees reporter. submitted his
report Saturday. in which he discarded
the declarations of the commission of
urists regarding Intervention, subst-
using therefor declarations prepared by
ne American Institute Of International
Law in 1916.
In drawing up its projects concern
ing the existence. equality and recogni-
ton OF states. the commission of jurists
at Rio de Janeiro included the un-
adorned declaration that mo state may
intervene In the internal affairs Of an
,;her" 1t is a long-accepted principle
Of international law. however. that a
state may SO intervene when certain
rights of its nationals are at stake.
Instead of attempting TO codify exist
Ing international law. the commission
of turists set forth some brand-new
principles. AS international law Is In
reality the law OF every state, 1t Is fu-
lie TO set forth new theories. which
have not been generally accepted as
fundamental and conveniently label
them Principles Of International Law"
As opposed to the declaration OF the
commission of jurists that mo state
may intervene in the internal affairs OF
Another declaration that Is fervently
Endorsed by Argentina, Salvador.
Guatemala. Dominican Republic. Hon
6uras and Mexico-are the principles
set forth by the American Institute OF
International Law. which declare:
Every nation has the right TO exist
and 10 protect and conserve It's ex-
:s,ence: but this right neither implies
the right nor tugtifies the act OF the
state 10 protect itself or conserve It's
existence by the commission OF uniaw-
ful acts against innocent and unonend-
Ing states
Every nation has the right TO inde-
prudence in the sense that 1t has the
right TO the pursuit OF happiness and Is
free 10 develop itself without interfer-
ence and control from other states. pro-
vided that i'm 80 doing II does not inter-
fere With or violate the rights OF other
states
Every nation has the right to terri
tory within defined boundaries and TO
exercise exclusive jurisdiction over It's
territory and persons. whether native
Or foreign found within.
In other words. these concepts OF In
trrrationai law recognize that states
have responsibilities. as well AS rights.
and their rights depend upon their
ability 10 fulfill their responsibilities.
To attempt 10 lay down an unqualified
bar against Intervention. or friendly
Interpolation" is as !nc0nceivabie OF
achievement AS an attempt to lay down
an unqualified prohibition against In
terfering with tise rights of individuals.
To believe that the Havana conference
eo,Iid come 10 grief over such an Issue
Is impossible. TO believe that the
United States. Ia falling 10 accept the
Argentine point Of view. Is seeking
selfish excuIpation Of is own actions
r. 10 aEknoxiedge a woe!ul lack Of uf-
Outstanding Of our motives snd COM
plet3 Undersppraiaement of the in,eih"
eenee Of our representatives.
yroisky ;s not nearly 81 much of an