Evening star., 1935-10-13


down on an international con-
troversy which, for long time
- threatened the peace Of the
American continent. The governments
of Colombia and Peru have exchanged
ratifications of the Rio de Janiero pro-
tocol. which settled their dispute over
the Leticia incident of 1882.
The passing of the treaty by the
Colombian Senate, which had previ-
ously rejected it, and the subsequent
exchange of ratifications, come at a
most propitious moment. The Rio de
Janiero protocol was the direct result
of the Intervention Of the League Of
Nations in the Leticia dispute, and it
was the League that previously had
brought about a cessation of armed
hostilities between Peru and Colombia
and had cleared the way for the final
adjustment Of their differences. At q
time when the League Is passing
through its greatest crisis, the perfec-
ton of the Rio de Janiero protocol
through legislative approval and ex-
change Of ratifications is particularly
significant.
When the armed conflict over Le-
ticia was stopped through the efforts
of the League of Nations in the Spring
Of 1888 and Colombia and Peru agreed
to start direct negotiations for peace
full settlement of their quarrel, stu
dents Of international affairs noticed
two innovations in the agreement
signed at Geneva which were bound
to test the efficiency and the posi-
bllities Of the League.
Such innovations were: First, the
establishment Of an international
police force, under League officers, to
maintain order in the territory in dis
pute and to insure the fulfillment of
the Leagues recommendations, and,
second, the abandonment of the old
fashioned and mistaken conception Of
the Monroe Doctrine under which
the privilege of saying the last word
In any dispute arising in the New
World had been enormously reserved
to the United States and to the United
States alone.
Peace Precedent Set.
The first one might have a bearing
on the rapidly changing physiognomy
of international law. It set q prece-
dent for the future never yet attempt
ed, though often mentioned and sug-
gested by the advocates Of an inter-
national organization of peace.
For the first time, q serious quarrel
between two sovereign nations, in
which territory and that infinitely
more dangerous element, national
pride" were involved, was placed un-
der the supervision Of q specially ap-
pointed League commission. And the
passions of popular sentiment In the
two disputant countries were success
fully checked by the intervention of
an alien influence, with the force of
world opinion behind it. For the first
time, the administration Of the ter
ritory matter of the controversy was
left to third party, with relinquish-
ment of strategic military positions
on both sides.
All this, to be sure, was unusual,
but the most revolutionary part of it,
the real innovation was in the pro-
vision for an international armed
force to insure the carrying out of
the agreement. For the first time,
any such force, selected by the
League commission and responsible
exclusively to it, was provided for.
For the first time. the possibilities of
an international police to enforce inter-
national Justice were given recogni-
ton. For the first time, the League
was given teeth.
As for the second innovation-the
Of European powers in q
solely American question Of
Pan American affairs found 1t even
more interesting than the CORNER.
Not because they had not expected It.