THE LEAGUE AND THE FAR EAST.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20712, 24 November 1932, Page 9

THE LEAGUE AND THE FAR EAST.

DR. JAMES GIBB'S VIEW. '"Has the League of Nations succeeded, or has it failed?" demanded the Rev. Dr. James Cribb, during tho course of an address to the local branch of the League of Nations Union last night. Dr. Gibb outlined tho activities in which there had been tjo question of tho League's success. Tho League, ho stated, had prevented three wars and actually stopped three others when gunfire had boon commenced. Its health organisation had helped to save Europe from typhus, it had carried out extensive repatriation activities aftor the war, and it. was doing its best to prevent slavery and traffic in women and children. It was also doing good worjc in economic preparatory commissions. "If the League fails, oven in tho light of what it has done," declared the speaker, "an immeasurable calamity will befall mankind." All tho successes the League had achieved would be in vain if it failed to deal satisfactorily with the Sino-Japanese problem and with disarmament. Attitude Towards Japan. "There is no question," proceeded Dr. Gibb, "that Japan has violated the spirit of the Covenant. Also, sho lias broken her promise under tho Kellogg Pact, and sho has opened tho door to incalculable mischief and misery," But if the Council had dealt firmly with Japan at the beginning of the dispute, thoy would not now be confronted with the difficulties that were in tho way. The League was timid. The Loagvie vacillated. Japan had been encouraged by the timidity, the vacillation, and the "yes-no" policy that was pursued by the League. The Council was now considering the Lytton report, which had seemed to him a very reasonable one, and tho Assembly would meet almost immediate!}'. Tho Assembly, he pointed out, had been coming more and more to the front in League matters of late, and on its decision would depend the issue of tho trouble between China and Japan.