REFORM OF LEAGUE OF NATIONS

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22112, 7 June 1937, Page 9

REFORM OF LEAGUE OF NATIONS

NO DEFINITE PROPOSALS FROM EMPIRE IMPERIAL CONFERENCE WILL FRAME RESOLUTION # LONDON, June 4. It is evident, from discussions conr cerning the reform of the League of Nations, that neither England isr the Dominions are able to submit any definite scheme whereby the League might be saved. y At a meeting held in the Cabinet room the Prime Minister (Mr Savage) and the Hon. Wajter Nash represented New Zealand. The British Foreign Secretary (Mr B. A. Eden) issued a frank statement of the League's failures, including Manchukuo and Abyssinia. He outlined the attitude of foreign Powers towards the League, revealing wide divergences over Article 16 and the general issue of sanctions. The smaller States, he said, wanted to make the Covenant more binding, while some major Powers, particularly those not prepared to fulfil sanction obligations, wanted the Covenant less binding. The delegates are fully agreed that the League is fully worth preserving as one of the definite hopes of world peace. , It is gathered that Mr Savages views have been among the most outspoken, vigorously advocating a stronger League. ' The Australian Associated Press , Understands that the conference is framing a resolution emphasising the# unity of Britain's and the Do--minion's views for the maintenance of the League, but measures of reform will be left to the League Assembly when it meets in September to consider a report on the matter. BRITISH LEADERSHIP URGED ALMOST UTTERLY DISCREDITED" LONDON, June 4. "The leadership of the nations is Vacant. Let the British Empire take it. No other nation would be as welcome to democracies throughout the world," declared Mr Lloyd George, broadcasting to the Empire. He urged the necessity of British foreign policy being allied with those of the Dominions. ~ "If the Prime Ministers are unable to attend more frequent Imperial Cabinets they should send responsible Ministers. Most, if not all, of .the recent humiliations, when British leadership of the League proved futile and the League itself was almost utterly discredited, would ; have been averted if the Empire as V ft whole had had a concerted policy," 'i»: lie aaid.