WORLD’S ALTERNATIVE

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 69, 14 December 1933, Page 9

WORLD’S ALTERNATIVE

League of Nations or Almost Complete Chaos M. AVENOL’S WARNING (British Official Wireless.) Rugby, December 12. M. Avenol, Secretary-General of the League of Nations, addressed members of all political parties in the House of Commons Committee Room yesterday afternoon with Sir Austen Chamberlain in the chair. M. Avenol, who made a vigorous reply to critics of the League, said that the alternative before the world was not a choice between the League and some better system, but between the League and almost complete chaos. The chief cause of the crisis in League affairs was the problem of disarmament, which was purely a European matter, he said. It was to be regretted that responsibility for the failure of the Great Powers to reach an understanding on this -question should be laid at the door of the League. While the work and methods of the League must nob become stereotyped, any changes must be made from inside. -He said that the general structure of the Covenant represented the minimum obligations without which no effective: international co-operation could exist, and the League was the only practical measure taken by the human race to establish the rule of law in the relationships of countries. The Secretary-General to-day called at the Foreign Office, and had a long conversation with Sir John Simon. EFFORTS OF BUREAU (British Official Wireless.) Rugby, December 12. In accordance with the decision taken by the Disarmament Conference Bureau when a fortnight ago it adjourned until. January, "parallel and supplementary efforts” have been and are being undertaken by the various Governments through diplomatic channels. With this general object in view the British Government 'is in close touch with Paris, Berlin, and Rome, and is encouraging bilateral conversations. These communications have at present only reached the exploratory stage, and it may be assumed that, when they have been carried further, the next business of the British Government will be to collate the results. It is emphasised that the present situation will not be cleared up by any isolated pronouncement from any quarter, as the whole purpose is to seek the best possible basis upon which the work at Geneva could be resumed with prospects of achieving something positive. The recent interview which the President of the Disarmament Conference, Mr. Arthur Henderson, had with the British Foreign Secretary, Sir John Simon, is understood to have been extremely cordial, and they are working in close accord.