Bean Bag

Foreign Minister Aristide Briand of France wants to sign a two-power treaty "outlawing war" between his country and the U. S. Secretary of State Frank Billings Kellogg insists that the treaty be a multi-power affair "renouncing war as an instrument of national policy." Out of the clash of these two concepts has come a nine-month long game of diplomatic bean bag (TIME, July 4, 1927). Last week M. Aristide Briand sent one more note to Washington from which it appeared that the French position is now, in substance, as follows:

1) Great Britain, Italy, Germany and Japan should be invited to state whether they would adhere to the formula of a multi-power treaty which should be submitted to them by the U. S. and France.

2) Negotiations looking to the drafting of such a treaty formula should continue between the U. S. and France until one agreeable to both is evolved.

3) France now postulates that: "In a general way the obligations of the new pact should not be substituted for, or prejudice in any way, previous obligations contained in international instruments, such as the Covenant of the League of Nations, the Locarno agreements or treaties guaranteeing neutrality whose character and scope cannot be modified thereby."

4) The initiative of proposing a treaty formula which would meet these and other reservations embodied in the French note last week, is left to the U. S. State Department.

At Washington last week Secretary Kellogg dourly intimated that all the French reservations could not be met, but added with an air of quiet determination that the State Department would proceed with the negotiations in a patient and conciliatory spirit.