Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-06
CRUCIAL PROBLEMS FACE
TEACJJE ON 18th BIRTHDAY
Attendance of % Premiers, Foreign Min
listers, or Both, at Session Indicates
Potentialities of Meeting.

Justice jurisdiction as tribunal OF APP
peal in respect to arbitral tribunals es-
tablished by states, also is OF vital IN
terest to Washington in view of the
pending application of the United States
for membership in the Court. The ap-
proval of the proposal would mean that
nations having bi-lateral arbitration and
Cancellation agreements would have
court of last appeal and would not be
faced with an impasse were their arbi-
tration boards to fail in adjusting diff
ferenceS amicably.
The Draft Convention for Strength
ening the Means for Preventing War.
which has been see sawing back and
forth between Assembly and commission
for several years, also Is on the sched-
ule. Its adoption seems foregone con-
cluSion and a drive will be launched to
obtain wide adherence. The coming
into force of the proposed treaty would
add an important stone to the struc-
ture for preserving world peace that has
been SO laboriously built up by the
League during the past decade.
Few people know that there are more
than 5000 900 slaves in the world today
five millions of humans actually
owned outright In India, Persia Arabia,
China and Africa. Liberia recently was
caught red-handed in what amounted to
slave trade through forced labor. the
ficialS resigned and the United States,
for years more or less responsible for
the Negro republic. virtually asked the
League to take over the task of chaStis-
ing the transgressing member Now,
not Washington, but Washington and
the League of Nations are the big
brothers" of Monrovia. League commits
sionS have been studying means for re-
establishing Liberals finances and the
~ of fiYnnc in
her history threatened to bring about
the determination of the ruling groups
in Monrovia-has been suppressed. The
League has not been so successful, how
ever. in dealing with slavery in AbyS-
sinia. or wiping out the traffic that is
carried on in Arabia. Indian provinces
have mitigated the evil to a large ex-
tent. but in the Irrawaddy Triangle in
conceivable conditions exist. The As
sembly will seek to find means of deal
ing with them
Refugees Are Problem.
Dealing with refugees. which still
abound in Europe as an aftermath OF
the World War is but short step from
the slavery problem. 1t is estimated
that at least eight more years will be
required to dispose of these unfortunates
mostly Russians. ArmenianS and
Greeks Already several millions of up
rooted peoples have found new home
in alien lands According to estimates
there are several hundred thousand
derelictS still in Europe and China
awaiting definite determination of their
status. The problem confronts the As
sembly yearly and since the guiding
hand of FIidjof hansen noted Nor
wegian explorer and philanthropist, who
dedicated his life to these unfortunates.
was removed through death, the League
has had a difficult task on its books.
In the social field the Assembly will
deal with the Leagues work during
the past year concerning white slavery
tan investigation is being carried on in
the Orient to complete the data OBJ
tanned from European countries. Canada,
the United States and South America
the narcotic menace, which is assuming
serious proportions: the welfare Of chill
dren and young persons, the Child We'll
fare Committee report, the nationality
of women and similar subjects.
American women and women's organi-
cations have been particularly active in
speeding the League in its efforts TO
simplify the questions of dual nation
atty and "heimlose" or homeless women.
who through marriage to foreigners find
their status difficult to determine. AS
the question of children'S nationalitieS
is involved and with it the obligation
for compulsory military service, the
problem is proving difficult for countries
having universal training and con-
Scription.
Overlooking the questions which APP
pear on the agenda of the Assembly
there is a host of problems or contro-
versies, which will be aired behind the
scenes. The Franco-Italian naval dis
pute, which centers around Mediter-
ranean supremacy, and the Tangier
question, will be discussed by Foreign
Minister BRAND. who will again head
the French delegation, and Foreign
Minister Grandi. There are reasons to
believe that solution will be found,
since the 1882 Disarmament Conference
cannot very we'll start with France and
Italy at dagger's points.
The European Union meetings, which
started the first of September, also, will
continue unofficially during the As
sembly and plans for the economic
restoration of Europe will be formulated.
Russia and Turkey are interested In
these questions and will maintain dele
cations in or near Geneva.
War debts are taboo at Geneva, ordl-
narily, but the recent recommendations
of the International Bank have forced
a showdown on both these and repara-
tons When % foreign ministers get
together there is no limiting what they
will talk about.
All in all, the political pot will have
plenty of opportunity to boil the com
ing fortnight, and few dare predict
what will emerge.