The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-11-07

BY WILLIAM C. UTLEY
TIFTY-TWO nations, all members
r of the League of Nations, have
solemnly agreed to employ eco
nomic sanctions, within limits,
upon Italy, one of the major powers
of the leagues membership, because
of her aggression in invading Ethio-
pia, lesser member whose rights are
none the less inviolate before the COW
enant.
1t can hardly be said that the
league has plunged in haste into such
action; whether it will repent at leisure
remains to be seen. For weeks
months-the big news has carried
Geneva date lines, and discussions Of
anctions"-economic sanctions, fol-
lowed, if necessary, by military sane
tions-have been the subject Of the
reporting.
To the lay reader, sanctions Is an
unfortunate word, in that it is not
graphic and in itself means nothing to
him, although by this time, If he has
waded through sufficient amount of
the cabled accounts, he has pretty
fair understanding of its meaning in
the present case.
Sanctions in force are merely pen
alties upon an aggressor nation agreed
to by other nations who are interested
in maintaining or redeeming peace.
Economic sanctions are trade "boy-
cotts," in which the protesting ma
lions refuse to buy from or sell to the
aggressor. In their less severe form,
economic sanctions may exist only
with respect to certain materials which
are essential TO nation engaged in a
war, such as transport animals, metals.
certain chemicals and munitions. The
purpose, of course, is to effect in the
aggressor nation such shortage of war
materials that it is no longer equipped
to engage in war. Admittedly one of
the important materials of war is
fresh money; by refusing to buy from
the aggressor, the nations enforcing
sanctions can, If that aggressor has an
important export trade, cripple it finan-
cially until continued war threatens
bankruptcy.
Military Sanctions Are War.
Carried to the ultimate degree, Geo.
nomic sanctions would deny to the
aggressor nation all imports of any kind
whatever. Unless a nation were prac-
tically self-sufficient, these measures
would eventually starve it into sub
mission or provoke it into attack
which, made against overwhelming
Odds, would certainly result in its
downfall.
Military sanctions are really acts of
war, since they are the armed en-
forcement of economic sanctions. In
the beginning they would consist of
naval and military blockades to keep
carriers bearing imports or exports
from entering or leaving the aggressor
nation. The Allies bottled up Germany
In this manner during the World war.
The declaration of sanctions is dele
gated to the league through those
articles of the covenant which are
designed to prevent war. They are
Articles X to XVII. Since the pre-
vention of war is the primary purpose
of the league itself, these articles are
the life blood of the great experiment
with Woodrow Wilson's idea.
Article X won't work. The league
was founded to assure the peace Of the
world, but 1t was shaped by the ma.
tons which came out on the winning
side in the World war, who thought,
none too enthusiastically, that peace
could be maintained by maintaining
the status quo of 1919. Article X
guarantees "the territorial integrity
and existing political independence of
all members of the league" But ac-
tive enforcement of the rule depends
upon the unanimous vote of the coun-
Gil, body smaller than the assembly,
and comprising only the more inn
portant powers of the league. There
fore, If the agressor in a case in point
happens to be a member of the coun-
Gil, as Italy is, that nations vote can
stymie any action under Article X.
Should "any war or threat of war,
whether Immediately affecting any
members of the league or not" appear
imminent, any member may request
council meeting or bring the case be-
fore the council or assembly for ac-