LEAGUE AND ITALY

Evening Post, Issue 51, 28 August 1935, Page 10

LEAGUE AND ITALY

UNION DISCUSSION

.Several remits came before today's conference (Of the New Zealand League of ;Natiqns Union dealing with the activity: of the League and the present crisis. These remits were considered together,- the opinion .being expressed by several. delegates that they were the most important ones on the order paper. . '

Auckland's remit read as follows:— "That the conference regrets the increasing tendency of States, members of the League of Nations, to "ignore their'obligations under the Covenant and urges the New Zealand Government to offer uncompromising opposition in the Assembly of the League to any breach of those obligations as the, only .alternative to a reversion' to competitive armaments and a drift towards- war."

• Gisbprne's. remit was to j the effect that.the. Government of New Zealand be purged, to use its influence with the British Government in support of the efforts now being made to prevent Italy .from attacking Abyssinia in disregard of the Covenant of the League of Nations and the Pact of Paris.

Dunedin's remit suggested the General Council of the League of Nations Union record its conviction that the present sense of international insecurity arises" largely from doubts whether the" Covenant' provisions for the preservation of .peace will be used effectively.' ' "The Council would therefore welcome an authoritative statement from his Majesty's Government as to the powers it possesses to apply, without special legislation, the measures prescribed in Article XVI of the Covenant;'and urges that if any further powers are found to be necessary they should be acquired without delay. The General Council of the League of Nations Union, being, convinced that little further, progress will be made by the Disarmament, Conference unless more definite guarantees of security can be given and taken, urges H.M. Government .to open conversations with .the other Powers which are signatories of the !Pact of Paris with a view to arriving at an agreement to set up machinery (1) immediately to bring into progressive diplomatic and economic sanctions on the lines of those laid down in Article 16 of the Covenant, ' arid' '(£)' to' stop the import of munitions of war of every kind to the-aggressor nation."

• Christchurch delegates suggested that the case would be met by the following:—

"That "this ; : conference/trusts- that the dispute between Italy and Abyssinia will be settled peacefully in accordance with international law as embodied in the Covenant and by- the procedure of the League of Nations." The Christchurch suggestion, said Mr.: Craig MacKenzie (Lower Hutt), was'riot strong enough. There had been too much expression of pious hopes and the time had come for the Government to 'express its support of the League even to the extent of the application of sanctions. It might be risking, a world war, which was repugnant to them all, but it was necessary to'take a firm stand against Italy.

Discussion on the remits showed that the feeling of some delegates, was inclined towards the establishment of & committee to frame a resolution embodying the various remits so that a clear-cut issue'mightbe placed before them. '

Other delegates wanted to omit all reference to Italy and Abyssinia and to affirm principles only. The Abyssinian question, it .was suggested, could be disciussed: separately. . '

The motion appointing. a committee to frame a comprehensive resolution was carried^ and the resolution will be placed before the conference later.