LEAGUE REFORM

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 110, 3 February 1938, Page 11

LEAGUE REFORM

Move In Abeyance Till September \ STRONG OPPOSITION “Sanctions Only Way To Preserve Peace” By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. (Received February 2, 5.5 p.n>.) Geneva, February 1. The Committee of Twenty-eight of the League lias adjourned until it receives directions from the Assembly. The Geneva correspondent of “The Times" points out that this means that reform is in abeyance until September, but also implies that the future of the League, especially, regarding sanctions, lias entered an active phase. Au earlier message stated:— When the Committee of Twentyeight of the League resumed to-day, M. Litvinoff (Russia I strenuously defended sanctions. He ridiculed those who believed the League’s slogan should be “Everyone for himself and God for us all." Dr. Wellington Koo (Chinn) said . that abandonment of coercion would result in the League’s destruction. There werq.no inherent defects in the Covenant. Trouble had been caused by those who were most able to give it withholding their support. Senor del Vayo (Republican Spain) . said that Italy, Germany, and Japan were aggressors, sowing seeds of death • and destruction. They hated the League because they knew it. was still able to halt, aggression. The people of Spain were suffering atrociously, and therefore lie asked for the application of international law against Italy, Germany, and Japan, not because they were Fascists, but because they wer“ outlaws. Neutrality Impossible. Senor del Vayo said that Spain opposed the theory Hint any member of the League could be neutral, because’-it was contrary to the Covenant. All the provisions of Articles 10 and 10 should b& preserved to prevent war. M. Boneour (France), in a speech lusting 45 minutes, flatly opposed changes in the Covenant. “It is not wortfi weakening the Covenant to bring back any nation to the League," he said. He denied that sanctions were ineffective. On the other band, they were more likely to be effective to-day than ever, as modern armies, owing to aviatibu and mechanisation, were iu constant need of raw materials. M. Boneour added t-hat short brisk wars could not succeed as had been shown in Spain. Even the bombing of open towns had not liastensd the eml iu tliat war. The only way to preserve peace was to make a nation which wanted war realise that it. would lie opposed not only by the big Powers, but al-o by the smaller countries in applying sanctions. Spirit of Covell”til. Switzerland's eontenion sri.i M. Boneour, was entirely coni.rirv to tlie spirit of the Covenant. Viscount Cranborne. summing up. sain that Britain had not weak-ned $ and did not intend to weaken her support of tlie League, but doubted whether further progress was at present possible. Time for reflection and consiocration was essential and, in that connection, ’lie recalled Mr. Anthony Eden's statement that too great precipitation could do no good and might do infinite 'harm. The committee decided to send rhe members’ declarations and documents regarding reform to tlie League Assembly, after which it adjourned. A Geneva cable published yesterday stated that at a meeting of the Committee of Twenty-eight, Dr. B O. Unden (Sweden) advocated that Article Sixteen of the Covenant, which concerns sanctions, should be made optional instead of obligatory. M. Gorge (Switzerland), in supporting the proposal, said : ‘’Switzerland to-day has > two neighbours who are not members of the League, and could not be expected to apply sanctions, which possibly would expose tier to great danger.' She must therefore recover her neutrality, which was lost in 1929 when she joined the League, hoping that it would become universal." M Rudgers (Holland) described Article 16 as dead and buried