With -the unanimous refusal of the Dominion Govern- ments to
attend an Imperial Conference in London on.. the Geneva Protocol, we must regard that- instrument as, if not dead, yet in a state of suspended animation. The only question• of moment which remains is whether the British Government, should definitely reject the Protocol. as • • Mr. • - MacDonald rejected the Draft Treaty of Mutual Assistance, or whether it should, after consultation with the Dominions, work out a system of reservations, with which it would be prepared to accept the Protocol: On the whole we hope that the latter course will be pursued; Though very little may be left of the operative part of the Protocol when all the reservations have been made, it will yet allow the next Assembly of the League to continue working on the basis of the • present document. For we still believe that the-Protocol, though it has fallen on such evil days does represent the most intelligent and workable method of eliminating war that has yet been devised. Of course, -it calls upon the nations to make sacrifices to that end. It is idle to suppose that so great an object as the elimination of war can be achieved without sacrifices. If these sacrifices are considered too great the nations will reject the Protocol—but then in that case, they will accept the continuation of war.
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