Evening star., 1936-02-09
ITALY AMONG ADHERENTS
OF LAMAS PEACE TREATY
Anti-War Pact Includes Pledge Against
Recognition of Territorial Changes
Effected by Force.

every effort on behalf OF American
peace-and there have been many
has stressed the necessity of outlaw.
ing force as a means of settling terri.
torial differences. Significantly, at
the First International Conference Of
American States, which met at Wash.
ington in 1889, this desire was ex-
pressed in a resolution, approved
unanimously, recommending the for
NAL enactment of the same.
Declaration Signed In 1882.
1t was not until August 8, 1882,
however. that the diplomatic repre-
sentatives of 10 American republics
signed in Washington a declaration
pledging their respective countries to
recognize no acquisition of territory
brought about by force of arms. BY
that time the principle had been de-
veloped and elaborated and had all
ready been called to the attention OF
the great world powers by the Secre-
tary of State Of the United States.
When Secretary StimSon, in emphatic
terms, warned the japanese govern
ment, after the invasion Of Manchu-
ria, that Washington would not recog-
nize any new territorial arrangement
IN the Far East in violation of exist
ing treaties or coming as the result
of warfare. the principle of non-rec-
ognition of territorial gains by force
took its place amidst the respected
doctrines OF modern international law.
1t was in this sense that the coun-
tries of the New World accepted it
and proclaimed it to the world, in
1888, as their own conception of the
most urgent requirement in the
preservation of international peace.
The immediate occasion for this his
torical pronouncement was the war
then raging between Bolivia and
Paraguay over the Chaco Boreal, and
1t Is significant that the peace agree
ment which ended that war, in June
Of 1885, specifically reiterated the ad.
herence of both parties to the 1888
declaration and their obligation to
settle their territorial differences by
legal ways, irrespective Of the position
Of their armies.
Helped Avoid One War.
This, however, is not the only vic.
tory of the new doctrine in the West
ern Hemisphere. Even before the
Chaco War had ended the Stimson
doctrine played an important role in
avoiding open warfare between two
other South American countries, Co.
lombia and Peru, when the Peruvian
government was unequivocally in
formed that its forcible seizure of
Leticia would never be recognized
as legal. Soon afterward the Leticia
incident was settled peacefully.
The doctrine of non-recognition OF
territorial gains by force may thus
be said, now, to be sanctioned by prec-
edents. and it is this doctrine that
Italy adhered to in signing the Saa-
vedra Lamas pact of 1898. A few
weeks after its signature the Monte
video Convention on the Rights and
Duties of States reaffirmed the doc
trine and did not spare words in max
ing clear its meaning. Article II con-
secrated the express obligation not
| to recognize territorial acquisitions
or special advantages realized by
force, and added that this applied
whether force consisted in the use
Of arms. in threatening diplomatic
representations or in other means OF
| effective compulsion"
Copyright, 1867