Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-02-10
BLOCKADE PACT
/ BY i. s. IS URGED
Butler Suggests Plan as
Means of Wiping Out Big
"War Navies."
Nv the Associated Press.

Ey the Associated tfess.
NEW YORK. February l0.--An agree
nent by the United States to reSpect
bloekaCeS established by other cotm-
tries as members of the League OF Ma
tiouS or sicnatoricS of the Locafno
pact, with the proviso that no such
blockade be effected against any nation
on the Western Hemisphere. was pro-
posed last night by DR.. Nicholas Muir
ray Butler.
THE president of Columbia University
and Of the Carnegie Foundation LOT
International Peace. speaking at olIi-
ner on the occasion of the twenty-lllth
anniversary of the Pilgrims oil the
United States. contended that III TINS
we're done, the last support OF the group
who constantly urge large navai arIna-
mentS. whether here or IN 1reaI DIN
ain, would be removed.
Explains Leagues Purpose.
1.-THE nations of the earth" he con-
tir,,ed. ourselves and one or Two more
excepted. have organized in the League
OF Nations an association 10 carry on
International business by discussion ana
cain, consideration and to suppress and
I,,,nish aggressive war should 1t occur
This is reason why no nation thaI Is
a member of the League OF NATIONS can
at the moment sign an agreement 10
renounce war as an instrument OF pup
lie policy unless war be UNDERSTOOD 10
mean aggressive war. Therefore.
IN orr formal treaty arrangements with
Great Britain. we cannot ask that gov
eminent, any more than We can ask
the French government, TO undertake
an obligation which conflicts with an
existing obligation of the highest I'M
portance and with which we. being out
side the League of Nations. have MOTH
ing to do.
TT ought TO be Of some interest to
American public opinion that since the
breakdown of the Geneva conference OF
last Summer the British government mas
announced that ii cut its naval build
ing program in half. while our American
orators and advocates announce that
they desire to multiply our program
nearly four times.
Suppose that the Government OF the
United States were to say TO Great
Britain. France, Italy. Germany and
japan: II you find yourselves under
obligation either as members OF the
League of Nations or as SlgnatorieS OF
the pact Of Locarno. In establish a
blockade against an aggreSSor nation. as
defined. We shall accept your good
faith and shall ourselves respect that
blockade with the proviso that no such
blockade shall be effected against any
nation on the Western Hemisphere
Would Build Peace Navies.
IF this were done. the last support OF
the group who constantly urge large
naval ornaments. whether here or in
Great Britain. would be removed. We
should then be ready to build nayies Of
peace instead of naTieS Of war. The bat
tleship. the destroyer. the submarine
could not only be limited but wholly re-
nounce0 by international agreement
and na*ies of peace. consisting of as
many cruisers of, say. 5000 or 10000
tons, as nation might think it needed
Tor Its own police work. would carry the
flags o. peaceioving and war-renounc-
Ing nations to the uttormost parts of the
earth as symbols of the new and happy
order that had come 10 be established
among men,
Sir Esme Howard and Sir Harry Bri-
tain. n. P. representative of the Brit
ish society. asserted that the Pilgrims.
IN their Is years existence, had done
much TO bring the United States and
Great Britain closer in understanding.
Tbs Prince of Wales. in a message
read by Sir Earry Britain. said that las
Pilgrim OF nearly nine years standing.
am very ElHd 70 send TO my brother
Pilgrims in New York my warmest con-
gratulations on the twenty-fifth ami
yersary OF the clubs inception in the
United States.
There have been many changes in
the world during the past quarter OF
century. but the ties which unite Pill
s.ims On each side of the Atlantic re-
main as firrn az ever
TO society such as OURS. the pas
sage OF time brings only q growing sense
Q! lis value and stronger confidence In
It's power for good in the future"