LEAGUE REFORM EXAMINED

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22317, 3 February 1938, Page 11

LEAGUE REFORM EXAMINED

* FURTHER DISCUSSION AT GENEVA OPPOSITION TO CHANGE IN COVENANT SANCTIONS QUESTION SAID TO ENTER ACTIVE PHASE (UHITED PRESS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT.) (Received February 2, 10 p.m.) LONDON, February 1. Proposals for the reform of the League of Nations were examined to-day at a meeting in Geneva of the Committee of Twenty-eight. M. Litvinov (Russia) strenuously defended sanctions. He ridiculed those who believed that the League’s slogan should be; “Everyone for himself and God for us all. Dr. Wellington Koo (China) said that there were no inherent defects in the Covenant. The trouble was caused by those most able to give it withholding their support. Senor del Vayo (Spain) said that Italy, Germany, and Japan were aggressors sowing seeds of death and destruction. They hated the League because they knew that it was still able to halt aggression. The people of Spain were suffering atrociously. Therefore he asked for the application of international law against the trio, not because they were Fascists, but because they were outlaws. He added that Spain was opposed to the theory that any member of the League could be neutral, because it was contrary to the Covenant. All the provisions of articles XVI and X should be preserved to prevent war. “Sanctions Not Ineffective M. Boncour (France), in a speech lasting 45 minutes, flatly opposed changes in the Covenant, stating. “It is not worth weakening the covenant to bring back any nation to the League.” He denied that sanctions were ineffective. On tne contrary they were likely to be more effective to-day than ever, since modern armies, because of aviation and mechanisation, were m constant need of raw materials. He added that short, brisk wars could not succeed, as was shown in Spain. Even the bombing of open towns had not hastened the end of that war. The only way to preserve peace was to make a nation wanting war realise that it would be opposed not only by big Powers but also by the smaller ones in applying sanctions. Switzerland’s contention that her position was too dangerous for her to apply sanctions, was entirely contrary to the spirit of the Covenant. Lord Cranborne (Britain) summing up, said Britain had not weakened and did not intend to weaken in her support of the League, but she doubted whether further progress was at present possible. Time for reflection and consideration was essential. He recalled Mr Eden’s statement that undue precipitation would not do good and might do infinite harm. The committee decided to send the members’ declarations and documents about reform to the Assembly, and to adjourn until it received directions from the Assembly. The Geneva correspondent of “The Times” says this means that reform is in abeyance until September, but it also implies that the future, especially as to sanctions, has entered an active phase.