GERMANY AND GENEVA

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 70, 23 March 1926, Page 7

GERMANY AND GENEVA

STRESEMANN'S ADDRESS TO REICHSTAG .

AIM TO MATERIALISE IN LEAGUE

HAEMONY OF ALL NATIONS.

(United Press Association—Copyright.) (Reutcr's Telefrnm.) (Received 23rd March, 12.45 p.m.) BEBLIN, 22nd March. The Eeiehstag was crowded for the debate in the Geneva proceedings. Dr. Streseinann, in a speech, said that the result at Geneva wag regrettable because the special interests in various countries strongly and brutally exertod themselves to the detriment of the idea of universality of the League, thereby bringing the League into a serious crisis, which revealed that the League - hitherto had been the instrument of the victorious States. Germany was now confronted with a decision whether, after her experience at Geneva, she should prosecute her policy of joining the League on equal terms as a great Power. Dr. Stresemann denied that the result of the Geneva negotiations was a defeat for Germany. He urged that Germany must continue to strive to enter the League on equal terms with the world Powers, even if the League should be nothing : else but a new diplomatic instrument for furthering the special interests of Nations. INTERESTS AND IDEALS. Fortunately Germany's interests were identical with the ideals of the League. Germany did not intend to prosecute any kind of policy of might or of balancing of Powers. There was no room in the League for a special group of Locarno Powers. Germany's .'im was to materialise in the League the harmony of all nations without discrimination. Dr. Stresemann declared that an earlier departure of Germany from Geneva would have been the biggest blunder imaginable politically. He emphasised the fact that Germany was entitled to withdraw her application for admission to the League if the decision of the League's Commission on the question of the extension of th» Council resulted in a new construction of the League, not corresponding to German expectations. But the German Government desired to co-operate on an equal footing with the mother nations of the League and safeguard German interests in peaceful competition with other nations. It would bs stupid to abandon their aim for collaboration with other nations, because the mechanism of the League had failed this time. The German Government had unanimously decided to follow up the Locarno policy, with which the continued occupation of the second and third Bhineland zones was incompatible. '