MINORITY PETITIONS

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 139, 8 March 1929, Page 11

MINORITY PETITIONS

PROCEDURE OF LEAGUE COUNCIL PROPOSAL TO MODIFY IT DISCUSSED CHAMBERLAIN DEFENDS PRESENT SYSTEM The Council of the League of Nations discussed a proposal to \ modify the procedure regarding petitions from minorities. Sir Austen Chamberlain defended the present system, under which petitions are dealt with by a committee of three. (British Official Wireless.) s Rugby, March 6. A proposal by Senator Dandurand, of Canada, to modify the procedure regarding petitions from minorities was discussed by the League of Nations Council to-day. Senator Dandurand proposed that in future petitions should be dealt with by the League Council instead of by the present committee of three. Dr. Stresemann, the German Foreign Minister, approved of the proposal. Sir Austen Chamberlain defended the committee of three. He said that the committee had always dealt with the various eases according to the rights held under treaties and could not go outside them. The committee had always taken up all cases which might produce ill-will between nations and undertaken the examination of petitions brought before it. One thing which showed that the work the committee had done bad not been so bad after all was that any member of the council could at any time bring up a question regarding minorities, even after a decision had been given by the committee of three. Hitherto no one had ever appealed to the council after the committee had given its decision. He was sure that any impartial person, when shown the documents and the work which the committee had done, would be perfectly satisfied that the committee had achieved in a large measure the purpose for which the system had been initiated. He suggested that in future greater publicity should be given to the work of the committee, so as to remove misapprehension and uneasiness. The main defect of the present procedure was delay. He hoped that they would be able to devise means of expediting the system. The question of minorities should not be a source of oppression or menace to the peace of the world. In conclusion, Sir Austen agreed with the other members of the council that the question was too large and too detailed to be handled in -one session of the council. He' agreed that a reporter should be appointed, with one or two members of the council as assistants, to conduct a thorough inquiry into the entire question and obtain the fullest information as to the procedure which had been in force up to now and as to the obligations and duties of minorities, and to make recommendations as to what changes in the method adopted by the League were, in their opinion, necessary. . . ... The council adjourned until to-mor-row, when Mr. Adatchi, reporter on the general question of minorities, will present a draft resolution providing for examination and report on the advisability of changing the council’s procedure regarding minority petitions.