LEAGUE COVENANT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 45, 2 December 1938, Page 5

LEAGUE COVENANT.

ADVOCACY OF REFORM. DEBATE IN HOUSE OF LORDS. (United Press Association—Copyright.) LONDON, November 30. The House of Lords debate on the League of Nations was opened by Lord Ponsonby, who asked if the Government would make immediate preparations for close international consultation on the underlying causes of complaint and friction between the nations of the world.

He also asked whether it would consider proposals for the amendment of the League Covenant so that weight might be absolved from any of its present political and military obligations and that it should be established as an all-inclusive, permanent body for examining, deliberating on, and, if possible, resolving, economic, commercial, currency, and colonial problems which, if neglected, might continue to cause international conflict. Lord Ponsonby expressed the view that the present League was a danger to European peace so long as its basis was military, but if it became economic it would be an obvious solution to world problems. The Marquess of Londonderry said it was not so much the League which had failed, as its members who had not carried out their obligations. Lord Strabolgi said the League provisions for pooled security were more necessary than ever, and Viscount Cecil also argued the need for the organisation of peace on the basis of collective responsibilities.

Replying for. the Government, the Foreign Secretary (Viscount Halifax) said the League, as it stood, was readily available for the effective use of Governments and people, if they de'sired to use it.

Referring to the statement by the South African Minister for Justice (General Smuts) that the United States should be admitted to the League on a special basis of membership, and that a standing committee of the Great Powers should be part of the League machinery, Lord Halifax said both suggestions seemed' to him worthy of close study. General Smuts had also said that no alternative to the League system for peace had been found, and that to scrap it and leave a vacuum would be an immense waste of human effort and leave the world without any reasonable means of procedure. That, Lord Halifax thought, was profoundly true, and he certainly would be very proud to make General Smuts’ words his own.

Speaking of British - American relations, he drew attention to the forthcoming visit to the United States of Mr R. A. Eden, who, he said, was going with the fullest agreement and approbation of the British Government. He expressed the opinion that the visit would be extremely valuable in its effects.—British Official Wireless.