Evening star., 1933-05-22
Definition Needed.


other states in case OF threat to peace
with view to averting conflict"
Definition Needed.
Heretofore, q consultative pact alone
was not much cherished by the Euro
pean powers because it was always diff
cult to obtain good definition as to
what constitutes an aggressive act and
also what will the United States do in
case that an aggreSsor has been desig-
mated.
Mr. Davis, in the name of President
Roosevelt, has suggested the easiest
manner of designating the aggressor by
stating that the simplest and most
accurate definition of an aggressor is
one whose armed forces are found on
alien soil in violation of treaties"
The United States will participate at
the meeting of the other powers mem
bers of the League of Nations to define
the aggressor, but the American dele
gate will have to report the proceedings
to Washington and 1t will be up to the
administration to concur with the find
ings of the League.
With the definition suggested by Mr..
Davis, there can be no doubt that
America will find no difficulties in ap-
proving the findings of the other ma
tions, since an invasion of alien terri
tory is easy to ascertain.
Once America has concurred to the
findings of the other powers, and these
powers have decided to take measures
against the violator of international
treaties, I'VE will refrain" stated Mr..
Davis, from any action tending to de-
feat such collective effort which these
states may thus make to restore peace"
Uncertainty Removed.
According to Article Is Of the Cove
nant of the League of Nations, one of
the first steps to be taken against the
aggressor nation Is a commercial and
financial boycott. This article has
never been enforced SO far because,
America not being a member OF the
League, the world powers did not know
what attitude this country would take
In regard to the question of trading
with the enemy.
Great Britain, above all, was worried
lest the United States should adopt the
same attitude it had adopted during the
World War, that is to say, insist on the
freedom of the seas.
The statement of Mr. Davis does away
with this fear, since his statement is in
terpreted to mean that the American
Idb IlO lOli6Cl Will PLOlCSt SlGiZCilo VA
this country If they want to deal with
a nation which has been found by a
common decision to be the aggressor.
Finally this country comes out
strongly in favor Of permanent COM
mission to supervise and control arma-
mentS and is willing to have repre-
sentative in such commission.
I'VE believe" stated Mr.. Davis, that
system of adequate supervision should
be formulated to insure the effective
and faithful carrying out OF any meas
ures of disarmament. We are prepared
to assist in this formulation and to
participate In this supervision. We are
heartily in sympathy with the idea that
means of effective. automatic and con-
tinuous supervision should be found
whereby nations will be able to rest as
sured that as long as they respect their
obligations with regard to ornaments
the corresponding obligations of their
neighbors will be carried out in the
same scrupulcuS manner"
Warns Against Opposition.
With these definite and final offers,
the American Government believes that
the Limitation of Arms Conference
should proceed without any further
hesitation and reach a definite agree
ment as soon as possible.
But Mr.. Davis thought that there
may still be nations which for reasons
of their own would like 10 delay the
work Of the Geneva Conference.
In order to avoid further .recrimina-
tions as to who is the culprit who made
the Disarmament Conference impos-
sible, the American chief delegate made
it clear on which nation the onus of
the failure of the Disarmament Con-
ference will be placed:
If at this decisive point any nation
should fail to give conclusive evidence
of its pacific intentions and insist upon
the right to rearm, even though the
other powers take effective and sub
stantial steps toward disarmament
then the burden Of responsibility for
the failure of the Disarmament Con-
ference, with the incalculable conse-
quences of such failure. would rest on
the shoulders of that nation.
The problem with which we are
faced cannot be solved if one nation
insists on rearming while the others
disarm. The result inevitably would be
orother rare i'm armamertS"