BEHIND BRITAIN

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 97, 21 October 1935, Page 9

BEHIND BRITAIN

DEFENCE OF COVENANT

SMUTS SPEAKS FOR SOUTH AFRICA

CEritisb Official Wireless.) (Received October 21, noon.) RUGBY, October 19. The newspapers give considerable^ prominence to a speech at Johannesburg last night by General Smuts, in which, referring to the war in Abyssinia-, he said that it was impossible to conceive of a simpler or clearer case of violation of both Covenant and Paris Peace Pact. The League had unanimously found against Italy, and South Africa, which had been a loyal member from the beginning, would do her best to fulfil her obligations under the Covenant and support the action for peace which the League was now working out in detail.

It is specially noted that General Smuts's definition of the attitude of South Africa corresponds almost exactly with that of the British Government. He declared that in fulfilling her obligations under Article 18 of the Covenant, South Africa had no private feeling against Italy, but was determined to do her part in strengthening the authority of the League and making it an effective force for world peace and security. "If the League succeeds in the present crisis the prospects of world peace in the future will be immensely improved. The practically unanimous support it is receiving is proof that in building up the League for world security we have not built in vain, and it will be a very grave warning to all possible future peacebreakers."