Evening star., 1928-12-23

ruler of Afghanistan in 1919 and ir
| 1921 by the treaty of Kabul, with Great
| Britain, he secured the complete inde-
pendence of his country
\ \ X
CHINA-On December 20 a new Sino-
British commercial treaty was signed
at Nanking; for Great Britain by Sir
Miles LampSon, the British Minister to
China; for China by DR.. G. r. Wang
Chinese foreign minister Similar Sino-
Portuguese and Sino-Swedish treaties
have Just been signed, and similar Sino-
French and Sino-Dutch treaties. are
about to be signed. Each of these
treaties, of course, contains q most
favored nation clause.
One hears that the number Of di-
visions in the Chinese army is to be re-
duced from 80 to 80, and that German
instructors are being engaged for the
30. Meantime banditry is increasing,
and, doubtless, it will at least Temporal
rily be further increased in consequence
of the disbandmentS proposed, should
they really be made. Soldiers being dis
charged are not getting arrears of pay
nor being provided with jobs, so ban
ditry is the only obvious occupation
open to them.
BOLIVIA AND PARAGUAY-The
Paraguayan government promptly &C
cepted the offer (cabled December 14)
by the International Conference OF
American States on Cancellation and
Arbitration, of its good offices toward q
pacific settlement of the Bolivian-Para-
guayan dispute, and on December ID,
after delay which kept a great many
people on tenterhooks, the Bolivian gov
ernment also accepted.
Meanwhile the situation had de-
veloped dangerously. On December 16
the world at large learned that another
clash reports widely differ as to the
number of casualties, but probably the
number was not large) had occurred
between Bolivian and Paraguayan troops
in the area possession OF which Is mat
ter of dispute between the two states;
each side, OF course, as in the case OF
the clash of December 6, accusing the
ether of being the aggressor. Just be-
! fore its adjournment on December Is
the League Council had dispatched
practically identic notes to the jarring
governments inviting their attention
to Article Vii of the League Council
covenant. by which as member states
| OF the League they were engaged to
seek settlement of their dispute by
arbitral or judicial means or through
an inquiry by the Council itself and not
! TO resort to war prior to three months
! following an award by such instrument
: tality. and further urging "the taking OF
proper measures to avoid new incidents
capable of compromising the success OF
all pacific procedure" But M. BRAND
temporary president of the Council
terribly concerned, had remained al
1 Lugano to keep in touch with the
League secretariat. On learning of the
renewal of hostilities. he, about mid
night of the 10th, cabled to La Paz and
Asuncion, permitting himself to insist
upon the suggestions made by the
! Council" Il think 1t is instructive to
follow these transactions in some de-
tail) On the 17th the Bolivian govern
ment ordered the Bolivian command
in the disputed area to make no further
advance and to avoid fighting, and or
the 18th the Bolivian government &C.
cepted the good Offices of the Washing
! ton conference. In notifying the presi-
dent of the League Council to that
effect. it stated that 1t had so acted "ir