Evening star., 1933-12-24
MONTEVIDEO FARLEY HOPE
RESTS ON PEACE EFFORTS
Reiterations and EloquentTalk, However,
Promise Little More Than Similar Con-
ferences Which Proved Nearly Useless.

pact, which provided for non-recogni-
ton of territorial gains brought about
by force and which specified that in
case of a dispute between two of the
American republics. the others, in their
character of neutrals, would adopt a
common and SOLITARY attitude: exercise
the political, juridical or economic
means authorized by international law;
bring the influence Of public opinion
to bear" to promote pacific settle
ment without having to resort to direct
intervention. All international contro-
versies would be referred to commits
sionS of conciliation and during the
deliberations of the commissions the
disputantS would abstain from every
act capable of aggravating or prolong
ing the controversy"
Anti-War Proposal.
There was a Uruguayan proposal for
bilateral anti-war pactS between ma
tionS of the American continent, CIV
ing conciliation boards, named in ad-
vance, blanket authority to handle ary
incidents, This method. providing for
concilistion starting automatically at
the outbreak Of dispute would repre-
sent quite an improvement: over the
existing machinery which attempts to
set I'D Cancellation boards only after
the controversy has arisen.
There was y Venezuelan draft de-
fining an aggreSSor nation as one
which sends armed forces beyond the
frontiers of another, or in any way
interfereS directly with the external or
internal sovereignty of its neighbors.
There was Mexican peace code, the
most comprehensive one ever submitted
TO q Pan-American Conference, en-
bracing salient elements OF all treaties
signed or suggested In the Americas,
borrowing from some European ones,
and generally designed to prevent "any
dispute escaping the mechanism of
peace" under present conditions. The
Mexican plan provided for compulsory
arbitration and favored as permanent
conciliation and arbitration machinery
an Inter American High Court. 1t called
for sanctions, and in the five chapters
of its los articles. outstanding features
Of the Drago and Calvo doctrines. the
Gondra convention, the Washington ar
bitration treaties, the Argentine anti
war pact, the Scott American
Tribunal Of Justice, etc, were COM
bined. The plan advocated the inclu-
sion Of Canada in the American Court
of Justice.
Furthermore, the Mexican code de-
fined an aggressor as the nation which
= (a) declares war, (b) commences an
invasion, even without declaring war,
(c) commences a blockade of a coast
or port, or Cd aids those attacking an
other country or disregards a petition
OF an attacked country to take measures
which would deprive the attackers of
support or defense.
Proposed Union Changes.
Besides these formal schemes sub
tod ITT -rr-irNT 49,
official but not less important proposals
could have been taken up. The Com
mittee on Latin America, of the Foreign
Policy Association and the World Peace
Foundation, had prepared certain
recommendations for changes In the
constitution and scope of the Pan
American Union which would have
made it more truly representative OF
all the American republics" and con-
siderably more useful than it has proved
to date. The same committee had also
advanced suggestions for the improve
ment of the existing peace machinery
and for the coordination of inter
national activities of purely American
agencies with the League of Nations
and the World Court. The Salvadorian
Foreign Minister, Senor Araujo, had
drafted program for the establishment
of an a1l-American Court of Justice
similar to that suggested by DR.. James
Brown Scott in the name of the Ameri-
can Institute Of International Law.
It is not, then, material to work on
that the Montevideo conferees lack
The projects are there. The directions
to be followed are there. The means
to achieve results are there.
What is keeping the delegations at
Montevideo from going beyond that in
nocuouS recommendation expressing
"the desirability" that the governments
of the American republics adhere to
the imperfect peace instruments which
have been trespassed upon in the past?
Let us hope that it is not yet too
late for the gentlemen at Montevideo
to leave some justification for the
Seventh Pan-American Conference to
have been held at all.
(Copyright, 1889