The Press FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1936. The Empire and Regional Security Pacts

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21903, 2 October 1936, Page 10

The Press FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1936. The Empire and Regional Security Pacts

Mr W. J. Jordan’s further contribution to the debate in the League of Nations Assembly on the reform of the League covenant has emphasised the divergence of opinion on this subject which exists among the governments of the Empire. The British, Canadian, and Australian Governments have, it. appears, adopted the view, expressed most clearly in the French memorandum, that the risk involved by military sanctions should be restricted “to the “ powers which are nearest geographically ; or “politically to the power which is attacked.” The obligation to impose economic and financial sanctions against an aggressor would, as before, rest with all members of the League. The New Zealand Government, in its memorandum on League reform, has already recorded its dissent from this policy of regional pacts; and Mr Jordan has now affirmed his belief that regional pacts will develop into the old system of alliances. The New Zealand view is shared within the Empire by South Africa and -the Irish Free State and outside the Empire by, Russia and the Scandinavian States. The probability is that the Anglo-French view will carry the day; and the New Zealand Government has indicated that in this event it will fall in with the majority. “If members of the League gener“ally approve of such pacts,” runs the memorandum, “we should be prepared to support a “ collective system in which all members of “the League, while accepting the immediate “ and universal application of the economic “ sanctions contemplated by article 16, never- “ theless, if they desired to do so, restricted to “ defined areas their undertaking to use force.’’ It, is as well to realise that the New Zealand Government’s attitude is the product, not of a vague and unpractical idealism, but of a realistic .estimate of New Zealand’s needs. If the League adopts the policy of regional pacts it becomes, more than ever, a European institution and, as such, of little use’to New Zealand as a source of security. For regional pacts are the distinctive product of European geography and the European political outlook. A small country like Belgium or Switzerland will find it easy enough to persuade other powers to guarantee her frontiers because it will be in the interests of those powers to keep her independent. But what country outside the Empire feels any concern over the security of New Zealand or would dream of pledging herself to defend New (Zealand against an aggressor? For New Zealand and for Australia the only useful League is one in which all the members are pledged to restrain aggression by all the means in their power. There is another aspect of the problem to which we have frequently referred Security on the regional plan is going to create very serious difficulties of Imperial policy. Aw impartial and general guarantee of the security of all member States in the League cart be subscribed to by every government in the Empire. Specific guarantees of this or that frontier will be subscribed to by some Empire governments and not by others. Most of the Do- . minions contracted out of LOcarrto and most of them will contract out of any similar regional ‘arrangement devised in the future.