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Show poison gas is : T0PIC0FLAGUE- Permanent Armaments Group of Society of Nations at Work on Problems NEW YORK, Pept. 1C. The employment em-ployment of poison gas as a weapon of war and the control of Iraffic in arms and munitions are two of the Important Import-ant questions now under consideration considera-tion by the commission on permanent armaments Of the league of nations, according to advUes received here by the League to Enforce Peace. This commission was appointed b the league council at its recent meeting meet-ing at San Sebastian, Spain, to deal with the problem of preventing future Ware by a general regulation of national nation-al armaments. It has organized Itself Into three subeommlsslons military, naval and aerial. In a statement regarding the activities ac-tivities of this commission, the league secretorlat points out that the council, to which the commission will report, has no power to Interfere on the question ques-tion of national armaments beyond making recommendations, and lhati there is nothing to compel any stale to net upon such recommendnllon except ex-cept the fore.- of public opinion. poxvirus or 1.1 At; 1 B. The actual powers of the league with regard to a mm ments. says this Statement, may be summed Up under 1 be headings of enquiry, recommendation recommen-dation and the exen Iss of public opinion. The leagues most definite powers, perhaps, arc contained In Article Ar-ticle 1, which provides that no new member mn be admitted to the league until I' accepts such regtilnllonn as ma be prescribed l the league In regard to Its naval, military and air forces and armaments This provision provis-ion applied to all states who are not yet members of the league, and who base applied, or who hereafter apply for admission. More detailed provisions provis-ions relating to members of the league are contained In Articles 8 and 9. These provide that the council, taking .o oiint of the geographical situation and circumstances of -a h state shall formulate plans for reduction or arm amenta foi the consideration and action ac-tion of the several government- The council may therefore eonsldei Ihe question of the armaments of the world, draw up what appears to it as mi SQUltable basis of armaments, and then .submit n to the various nations PI ULIC OPINION. The council has no power to Interfere Inter-fere on the question of national armaments arma-ments beyond this form of recommendation. recom-mendation. There Is nothing to eom-pei eom-pei any stale to i upon 11 oxcept the force of public opinion. The covenant coven-ant also lnys down the principle that after these plans have been adoutcd by tlip several governments, the limits of armaments therein fixed shall not ; let sdsd without th'- concurrence I of the COuni il. Such plans hover. IS r- subject to reconsideration and revision re-vision at least every ten years, so that armaments may i made to vary in accordance with the political condl-tlons condl-tlons of the time. A fun her impori- 1 ant provision Is tho undertaklnR Riven Riv-en ly all members of the league to ! exchunge full and frank Information as tu tin sc ilc- of their armaments, 1 their military and naval programs, and the conditions of such of their industries in-dustries as are adaptable to warlike i purposes. The covenant also accepts the principle that the manufacture by private enterprises of munitions and Implements of war is open to grave objection, nnd though private manufacture manu-facture Is not forbidden, the council of the league is empowered to advise as to how evil effects attendant upon such manufacture can be prevented. |