LEAGUE CONTROVERSY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 54, 5 March 1926, Page 7

LEAGUE CONTROVERSY.

ATMOSPHERE CLEARING. SPIRIT OF FAIR PLAY. NEED FOR TOLERATION. (By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.) (Received 11 a.m.) LONDON, March 4. ' The Prime Minister announe-ed in the Commons yesterday that he would move the adjournment of the House this afterroon to permit Sir Austen Chamberlain to make a full statement regardin" the Council of the League of Nations, especially as regards claims for permanent seats. Time would be allowed for the House to fully discuss the subject. On the formal motion for the adjournment Sir Austen Chamberlain said that in view of the anxiety here and abroad, it was only right that there should be a statement of the British viewpoint on the subject of increasing the Council of the League of Nations. Personally he felt it to be much easier to increase the difficulties with which they would be confronted at Geneva than to lessen them by any words he could use. He confessed that they had to watch the controversy with the greatest anxiety. They would meet at Geneva with many conflicting views inspired by national feeling and tradition, but, if the League was to continue to brow in influence and power, they must, at Geneva, talk not in their own language, but in the language of Europe. A Libera] group, headed by Mr. Lloyd George, thereupon tabled a motion urging that the occasion of the admittance of Germany to the League and according to .her a permanent seat on the Council should not be used to effect any other changes in the Council, whatever their intrinsic merits might he. The Labour party also tabled a similar motion, which added that, apart from other considerations, an increase in the permanent seats on the Council in order to accommodate the claims of other nations than Germany could be regarded as a variation of the Treaty of Locarno and ought not to be supported i3y the British Government. A crowded House was surprised at the [postponement of the expected Ministerial statement, especially as it was understood that at a lengthy meeting the Cabinet reached an agreement on the basis of Germany's unconditional admittance and a settlement of other claims later. A more optimistic feeling consequently prevails. PRESS COMMENT. The "Times," in a strong leading article, says that as Germany ia coming into the League it is not fair play to make sudden important changes without consulting her, particularly as that action might he interpreted as an attempt to hastily and nervously create a counterpoise against Germany. This is what strikes the ordinary British mind as an attempt to "queer the pitch," says the "Times." It simply cannot be done. The diplomatic correspondent of the Labour paper, the "Daily Herald," saya it is clear that a settlement will be made in the course of informal conversations on Sunday. It is equally clear that the conversations will merely regularise the arrangement which is being made this week, of which many essential parts will not be disclosed. The results of hard diplomatic bargaining will be presented to the world as a new manifestation of the Locarno spirit. The "Daily Telegraph" says the suggestion of a Commission is supported throughout Dominion circles. — (A. and N.Z.-Reuter.) THE DOMINIONS' POSITION. (Received 1 p.m.) LONDON, March 4. In the House of Commons, the Prime Minister told Mr. P. A. Harris, Labour member for Bethnal Green, that there would be ample opportunity at Geneva for discussion by the Dominions' delegates on the constitution of the League Council.—(A. and N.Z.) BELGIAN CONTENTIONS. LONDON, March 4. A message from Brussels states- that the Belgian Foreign Minister, M. Vandervelde, referred in the Chamber of Deputies to the question of the Council of the League. He said Belgium had periodically run the risk of not having her seat renewed. He thought it was desirable to counter this risk bymeans of a regulation fixing definitely the duration of mandates and the conditions of re-election. This regulation had been framed, and if it were ratified by Spain it would come into force as an amendment of Article 4 of the Covenant. The Minister said it was a serious mistake to describe new candidatures for permanent seats on the Council as a counterpoise to the entry of Germany. He spoke of the possibility of States other than the present candidates demanding permanent seats on the Council. Thus the Council might be compelleel to create fresh permanent members and consequently to increase the number of non-permanent seats. This would mean a Council of IS or 20, or even more members. The result would he that the Assembly would be discredited by comparison with the Council, which would include nearly all the politically important States, and those States which were members of the Council would suffer a dangerous loss of influence. There would inevitably arise an unwieldy Council, a small committee of which would be the really decisive body. Mr. Vandervelde concluded by reechoin? Sir Austen Chamberlain's desire to go to Geneva with free hands to seek a conciliatory solution.— (A. and N.Z.Keuter.) ONLY GERMANY AT PRESENT. LONDON." March 4. The Geneva correspondent of the 'Morning Post" suggests that it will be proposed to Herr Stresemann, German foreign Minister, in the course of pourparlers on Sunday, that Germany shall first be admitted to the League, and that a second meeting of the Council shall then be held, with Germany participatln g, at which the Council shall recommend to the Assembly the addition of a Single non-permanent seat—this to be done pending the setting-up of a Commission in accordance with the British suggestion for the purpose of studying the reorganisation of the Council. "The Commission would report to the September session of the League.