FUTURE OF LEAGUE

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 208, 30 May 1936, Page 12

FUTURE OF LEAGUE

Should Sanctions Now Be Lifted? DEBATE IN COUNCIL “New Zealand Rises or Falls With Empire” The League of Nations Sanctions Regulations Confirmation Bill was put through all stages in half an hour by the Legislative Council yesterday. Moving the second reading, the Hon. M. Fagan explained that tlie Bill validated regulations imposing sanctions against Italy. At present it was difficult to estimate the effect of the sanctions. Notwithstanding the conclusion of the war in Abyssinia, tlie British Government had decided meantime to continue the sanctions as far as she was concerned. 'The future of such measures would be decided by the League Council on June 16. Tlie hope that the Australian and New Zealand Governments would indicate to Great Britain before June 16 that they desired the lifting of the sanctions, which were now only irritating, was expressed by the Hon. F. Waite (Otago). Every well-wisher of the League recognised that it must be reconstituted, he said. If Abyssinia had not trusted tlie League she would have retained half her territory to-day, said the Hon. R. McCallum (Marlborough), who commented that the League would have done well to accept the Hoare-Laval proposals. Collective force was the only remedy against an aggressor. If the British. French anti German navies had been able to unite and could have threatened to blow the Italian navy out of the water, Italy’s operations in Abyssinia would have been stopped at a week's notice. One Effect of Sanctions. Sir Janies Allen (Dunedin) said that if no sanctions had been imposed Italy would have marched into Abyssinia more rapidly, and once having conquered her, would have treated the Abyssinia ns more harshly than they were being treated to-day. Mr. McCallum: Abyssinia couldn’t bo worse off than she is.

Sir Janies Allen: Oh, couldn’t she!

Proceeding. Sir James said some form of collective effort was imperative if people were to be maintained. “This Bill is necessary to keep the sanctions going until June 16.” he said. "On that date the whole situation will be reconsidered by the League.”

Sir James Allen said he disagreed witli Mr. Waite that New Zealand should recommend the lifting of sanctions. They should be retained until the League decided tlie future course of action.

Concluding the debate, Mr. Fagan said tlie New Zealand Government had informed the British Government as to its opinion on the possibility of tlie continuance of the sanctions. Tlie view of tlie Government was that as New Zealand was part'a ml parcel of the British Commonwealth of Nations, she must rise or fall with the rest of the Commonwealth. The Government took up tlie position that there must be some reason why Britain was continuing the imposition of sanctions, possibly as a bargaining point of some description. Tlie New Zealand Government did not wish to embarrass tlie British Government by a division among the nations that were standing behind it. For that reason he did not agree with Mr. Waite. The Bill was passed.