When Pacts Are Broken The most important . passage in
Mr. MacDonald's speech - in the 'House. on Wednesday was that in Nr Welt he spoke of, the intention of the United States Government, in the event of the Disarmament Con- ference proving successful, to take part in consultative pacts. The effect of this. said the Prime Minister, would be to increase the security of Europe and the -safety of threatened nations against war.. Precisely what pledge Mr. Roosevelt has given,•or can have-given, is not entirely clear. It rests with the President to authorize con- sultation, in an individual ease; but an undertaking to consult as a matter of regular procedure in all cases requires the consent of the Senate, for which the President cannot answer. The, Mere announcement by Mr. Roosevelt that during his term of, office he would in fact regularly authorize consultation wotild be a good deal in itself. It' would be a Ova' .deal more if the Senate_ formally :supplemented the 'Kellogg Pact by an undertaking . to join in' consultations • in the event of violation or the threat of violation of that pact. But consultation after all is no more than a first step. If nothing more results, than in the case of Manchuria, regarding which there was full consultation between the League and the United States,- the decision to consult will inspire only restrained satisfaction.
