Invitation Rejected

Secretary Kellogg despatched from Washington last week a formal rejection of the invitation extended by the Council of the League of Nations to the U. S. (TIME, March 29), requesting the presence of a U. S. representative at Geneva on Sept. 1, to attend a conference of the Court-adherent nations, at which the U. S. Senate's announced conditions (TiME, Feb. 8, CONGRESS) for U. S. adherence to the World Court might be discussed.

Text. Secretary Kellogg wrote:

"If the states signatory to the permanent court desire to confer among themselves, the United States would have no objection whatever to such a procedure, but under the circumstances it does not seem appropriate that the United States should send a delegate to such a conference. . .

"I see no difficulty in the way of securing the assent of each signatory by direct exchange of notes, as provided for by the Senate. It would seem to me to be a matter of regret if the council of the' League should do anything to create the impression that there are substantial difficulties . . ."

The Significance. Diplomats opined that the chief purpose of the proposed Court conference is to obtain from the U. S. an interpretation of Senate Reservation No. 5, which demands, as a condition of U. S. adherence to the World Court, that it shall not render any advisory opinion affecting any question in which the U. S. has an interest, except by consent of the U. S.

Throughout Europe statesmen have been asking: "What authority is to decide whether a given question is one in which the U. S. has or has not interest? May or may not the U. S., under Senate Reservation No. 5, claim an interest in any question whatsoever and so block all action by the World Court, at pleasure?"

The Kellogg note would appear to make it necessary for the 48 Court-adherent nations to seek individually for the answers to these questions; to accept or reject individually the U. S. reservations.