JOINT ACTION.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 282, 28 November 1929, Page 7

JOINT ACTION.

RUSSO-CHINESE WAR. Britain Would Co-operate With Other Powers. MR. HENDERSON'S STATEMENT. (British Official Wireless.) (Received 1 p.m.) RUGBY, November 27.

The Foreign Secretary, Mr. Arthur Henderson, was asked in the House of Commons whether, seeing certain hostile acts had been by the Union of Soviet Republics against the Republic of China, both parties having signed the Kellogg Pact, he would consider bringing this breach of the pact before the other Governments that had attached their signatures to the pact, with a view to bringing about a peaceful settlement.

Mr. Henderson replied that the Kellogg Pact provided no machinery for dealing with any case of infraction or apparent infraction of its terms, but merely stated in its preamble that any signatory which might thereafter seem to promote its national interests by resort to war would be denied the benefits furnished by that treaty. He understood the Chinese Government might appeal to the League of Nations. The Covenant of the League provided machinery for dealing with such an appeal, and he thought it would be best to await developments in that direction in the first place.

Sir Austen Chamberlain, former Foreign Secretary, asked whether any communication had passed between the United States Government and the British Government on the subject, and whether any suggestion was made by the United States Government for common representations to Russia against a breach of the Kellogg Pact. Mr. Henderson replied that in the early days of this matter communications did pass, and he informed the House at the time that Britain was prepared to participate in any joint action calculated to bring the dispute to a peaceful termination. He thought that since then no further communication had been received, but that communication hac come from another Government, and i joint action could be taken Britain wai prepared to participate.

Sir Austen Chamberlain asked whether Mr. Henderson would consider if it would not be proper for the Government to initiate fresh negotiations with the United States Government on the subject.

Mr. Henderson: I can only say the matter was under consideration this very morning. As I have intimated, we are prepared to take part in joint action. I will consider the suggestion whether we ought to initiate that action.

A member asked if it was not possible to adopt other machinery than the League of Nations.

Mr. Henderson: Tlie action I was contemplating was not an action associated with the League of Nations in the_ first instance, but joint action by the signatories of the Kellogg Pact, who include both Russia and the United States.