DUTY OF NATIONS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 26, 1 February 1932, Page 7

DUTY OF NATIONS

AS MEMBEES OF LEAGUE

MACDONALD'S REMINDER

(British Official Wireless.)

(Received Ist February, 11 a.m.)

KUGBY, 30th January. The Prime Minister, in a speech last night, referring 'to the events in Shanghai, said: "For the moment I assign no blame and I take no side, but I believe I carry the nation and every sane man in the world with me when I say that the experience is very disappointing in view of thn efforts being made by the great Governments in the world to establish peace. We have all signed the Kellogg Pact. We all belong to the League of Nations. The essential condition of belonging to the League is surely that wo are determined to solve difficulties by negotiation and conciliation, and not by swift resort to armed force. That is contrary to the spirit of the League, and must be mado contrary to the practice of members of the. League. Quite apart from details of diplomacy and methods of handling I express without reserve the moral and national regret of everybody that such events should happen, and I appeal to everyone concerned to sheath their swords and allow commonsense and reason to square up their difficulties.''

Article 10 of the .Covenant, which, with Article 15, the Chinese have invoked, is an undertaking by the members of the League to respect and preserve territorial integrity and existing political independence of all members, against external aggression. ■Article 15 lays it down that if any dispute should arise between members of the League, likely to lead to a rupture, which is not submitted to arbitration or judicial settlement, as provided

for by tho Covenant, it shall bo submitted to tho Council. Any party to the dispute may also make a submission by giving notice of tho existence of the dispute to the Secretary-General of the League, who will then make all arrangements for an investigation. The Council will then try to effect a settlement. Either party has the right to have the dispute hoard before the Assembly of the League, provided it requests this course within 1± days of tho submission to tho Council.