EVACUATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 217, 13 September 1930, Page 9

EVACUATION.

SAAR TERRITORY.

Unanimous Decision of League

Council.

MR. HENDERSON'S SPEECH,

(United P.A.—Electr. , " -legrapb—Copyright)

(Received 11.30 a.m.)

GENEVA, September 12,

The Council of the League of Nations passed a resolution in favour of the withdrawal of forces protecting'the'railways in the Saar territory within three months.

Br. Curtius (Germany) expressed satisfaction at the solution of the matter.

Universally, the League was most gratified, by. the Council's decision on the evacuation of the Saar by all occupational troops within a period accepted by Germany. This is regarded as. a definite achievement towards the complete settlement of a situation which is only second to the occupation of the Rhinejand in the bitterness created in Germany.

There was a notable decline in the tone of.the general debate yesterday after the big guns had spoken.

The main topic in the lobbies is Mr. Arthur Henderson's astute switching off to the interest In the problems of disarmament and arbitration instead of M. Briand's European project, which was not mentioned in any of the morning '"'. General Hcrtzog (South Africa), and Sir Robert Borden (Canada) sulYered through uninspiringly reading written speeches. The Germans stirred uneasily and looked daggers when General Hertzog, referring particularly to the recent examination of the Squth-wcst African mandate, declared that the Mandates Commission caused the greatest friction by raising academic questions about the permanency of tire mandate, and the extent of the mandatory Power's sovereignty. Such inquiries should . either be abandoned or restricted. ~* Britain's Hopes. Mr. Arthur Henderson, Foreign Secretary, speaking-on disarmament, said he did not say that no progress had been made, but on the contrary he believed that during the last twelve months important steps forward had been taken. After. referring to tlie results of the Nival Conference -and to the fact that by the London , agreement the British Navy would' be' tons less than it would have been if the proposals before the 1927 conference had been .accepted, he expressed the hope that before 1936 further agreei nts would be made under which no-more capital ships should ever be reconstructed. But he said for the British Government that this was only the first step, and he hoped that when the World Disarmament Conference met it would, with other naval Powers, make still further immediate and substantial reductions in naval forces.

The Preparatory Commission and other League commissions had had great difficulties to overcome, but the time for practical results had arrived, and ho hoped the Disarmament Conference would be summoned for next year so that within the measureable future a decisive step would be taken towards the fulfilment of the undertakings which bound them all.

He appealed for a strong and united effort to achieve tlic purpose for which the League exists. /