LEAGUE MUST DECIDE NEXT MOVE

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 69, 14 December 1935, Page 11

LEAGUE MUST DECIDE NEXT MOVE

4 Plan to Suit Both Sides NEITHER DEFINITE NOR SACROSANCT (British Official Wireless.) Rugby, December 12. When the League’s Committee of Eighteen met at Geneva this afternoon statements regarding the situation arising from the Paris conversations were made by the French Premier, M. Laval, and Mr. Anthony Eden, Acting British Foreign Secretary. M. Laval said that the proposals drawn up in Paris would be communicated to the League Council, and the task of the French and British Governments would then be done. It would b? for the League itself to decide the next move. He hoped the committee would recognise the loyalty of the effort which his Government, with the British Government, had made. Mr. Eden recalled the unanimous goodwill with which the committee at its last meeting had approved the attempts to find a basis of discussion between Italy and Ethiopia, and said: “What therefore the representatives of the United Kingdom and the French Governments have been seeking to do in Paris was to work out proposals that might be suited to both sides, and upon which both might, be willing to come together to open discussions here in Geneva.

“The proposals now put forward are neither definite nor sacrosanct. They are suggestions which it is hoped will make possible a beginning of negotiations. If the League does not agree with these suggestions wo shall inri'e no complaint; indeed, we should cordially welcome any suggestions for their improvement.

“The policy of his Majesty’s Government remains to-day what it has been since the dispute began. It is that settlement must be acceptable to the League as well as to the two parties in the conflict. In these circumstances )t seems to me that the best procedure to follow at the present time is to call together the Council at the earliest practicable moment in order that a full statement of the proposals should be made to it. It will be for that body to determine, as and when it sees fit, what course it would wish to pursue iu the light of the situation thus created, and in advance I emphasise that so far as his Majesty’s Government is concerned wo will not only readily accept the judgment of our colleagues, but we will continue to use our best efforts to further the two objectives which have been constantly before us in this dispute—the restoration of peace and the maintenance of the authority of the League.” The Polish delegate then declared that the Paris proposals had created an entirely new situation, ami he urged that the committee should abstain from any measures of a political character until the Council had met and pronounced upon the situation.

The committee appeared to agree with the Polish view, and adjourned till Saturday, when it will consider the report of the experts on the working of sanctions.

A British official wireless message states that the peace proposals were communicated to the Italian Government yesterday afternoon. Press reports state they have also been received by the British and French Ministers in Addis Ababa for communication by them to the Ethiopian Government, and may be presented to-day. Yesterday the Emperor was still in the area of the northern campaign, where he is directing operations.