Article 36

Last week Prime Minister Ramsay Mac-Donald announced that he would submit to the League of Nations Assembly in September Great Britain's acceptance of Article 36, the famed optional clause of statutes of the World Court.

Article 36 provides that all member nations of the World Court subscribing to this clause must recognize its jurisdiction in any legal dispute concerning:

1) The interpretation of a treaty.

2) Any question of international law.

3) The existence of any fact which, if established, would constitute a breach of an international obligation.

4) The nature or extent of the reparation to be made for the breach of an international obligation.

Article 36 was written.by Elihu Root in 1920. It has already been accepted by 47 of the 52 World Court nations. Japan is willing to accept it when all the other nations do. Until last week Great Britain and Italy were the only two large powers remaining aloof.