TENTH ASSEMBLY.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 208, 3 September 1929, Page 7

TENTH ASSEMBLY.

LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

Mr. Mac Donald's Hopes Of Real Work For Peace.

REFERENCE to dominions

(Australian and N.Z. Press Association.)

(Received 0.30 a.m.) GENEVA, September 2. perhaps as a tilt at the League 1 verbosity compared with the Locarn and Hague achievements, a Frenc i versifier° has hailed the oper in<r of the tenth Assembly as th beginning "of a season for grea orations, peace for all and a turn fo I everyone. The Hague is now notb ! jjjore than a cloister." He faceti ously added a Hague menu includin "Pudding, John Bull with nei sauce" and a postcript "Snowden o Holland will conduct the orchestra. a matter of fact nobody to-da; wanted speeches or music. The over crowded Salle de Reformation, whic] tr j es to reform everything but its owi appall" 1 ? ventilation, was an unsuffer able spot in one of Geneva s woist day of fierce, moist heat. The condition became worse in the glare of arc lamp for the taking of talking films to supple ment the ordinary films. At the entrance door, where Mr. Mac Donald, Mr. Henderson and M. Brianc lad outstanding welcomes, the proceed j ri <rs were formal and soon over. The opening ceremony was carried ou' by the Persian, Mirza. Mohammed Khai Farushi. The chief event of the day was Mr JlacDonald's mid-day address to inter national journalists. He said that th< 1024 protocol had gone the way of manj other instruments but had been tht beginning of a new spirit of hope amonj the nations! It had paved the way foi the Kellogg Pact and was an aid to it What was impossible in 1924 he hopec would be achieved in 1929 to shape a real work for peace. Incidentally he strongly emphasised that Geneva superseded written negotia- | t j ons by personal contact. He seemed a i little uncertain whether, after all, he i would be able to go to Washington in I October, owing to the difficulties of the ! lead of a Government without a majority leaving the House of Commons, but in the provisional agreement which General Dawes and lie hoped to fashion there was not merely an Anglo-American naval agreement but a contribution for dovetailing into a greater scheme of disarmament of sen and land forces throughout the world. His closing reference was most important to the Dominions. He said he did not desire to anticipate Ins own speech at the Assembly, but Labour felt that the British signature to the optional clause for arbitration of international questions was necessary if arbitration were to become a general habit among the peoples. Mr. Mac Donald did not mention the reservations which Australia and New Zealand were unitedly demanding. These were the subject of a private conference of Empire delegates this evening. |