A FINNISH PROPOSAL

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 136, 6 December 1926, Page 9

A FINNISH PROPOSAL

LEAGUE WAR CHEST IN CASE OF NEED.

i LONDON, 4th December. Among tho foremost questions to come before the League of Nations I Council at Geneva next week; will bo a i Finnish proposal for an international | war chest to be placed at tho disposal of any nation threatened by war. A l tentative suggestion is that Britain and tho other Great Powers undertake, in tho event of a member of tho League becoming a victim of aggression, to provide an immediate loan up to, say, fifty millions, oach Power promising to find ton millions. Each Government would guarantee that its share would bo raised by its bankers. According to the Finnish proposal this would avoid tho necessity of exposed States, such as those along the Russian frontier, maintaining heavy armaments and munition factories. The League Council's sub-committee yesterday decided to instruct the Financial Commdtteo to examine tho Finnish proposal and all analogous measures. The Finnish representative thanked members for the interest shown in the question.' Tho "Daily Telegraph's" diplomatic correspondent regards this proposal to implement Article 6 of tho Covenant as amazing, "It seems that tho British taxpayer would be required to repay a loan from which only a foreigu country or armament firms would benefit, since 'wo know from past experience that war loans made by Britain, even to the richest countries, aro not recoverable. Onco we start financing such operations we must go on. Finally, the proposals will tend to make tho smaller countries unreasonably sensitive and bellicose.'?