BRITISH NOTE

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 126, 23 November 1935, Page 11

BRITISH NOTE

REPLY TO ITALY

SANCTIONS PEOTEST

NO REOPENING OF. TALKS

COMMENT ON IMPLICATION

(British Official Wireless.) (Received Nov. 23, 11.30 a.m.) RUGBY, November 22. Signor Grandi, the Italian Ambassador .in London, called at the Foreign Office this morning and was handed by the Foreign Minister, Sir Samuel Hoare, the British reply to the Italian Government's Note protesting against the action of the League States in applying sanctions as a result of. Italy's resort to war in Abyssinia in disregard of her covenants. The British Note refers to the Italian Note of November 11, in which the Italian Government thought fit to draw attention to the responsibility entailed by the putting in force of the measures proposed by the League's Committee of Co-ordination, and continues, t'"ln reply to the general observations advanced by the Italian Government,' .his Majesty's Government feels bound1 to emphasise that having itself taken part in the discussions at Geneva it is in a position to bear witness to the constant anxiety evidenced alike by the Council, the Assembly, and by other organs of the League of Nations, fully conscious as they have been of the gravity of their responsibilities, to carry out their duties in-a spirit of impartiality and concede the utmost possible weight to the legitimate interest of Italy. "NO USEFUL PURPOSE." "His Majesty's Government is so convinced of the accuracy of this.estimate of the work already performed by the League of Nations in connection with the Italo-Ethiopian dispute that it feels no useful purpose would be served by reopening: or recapitulating discussion of the questions raised in the Italian Note. "His Majesty's Government must therefore content itself by recalling that an October 7. last delegates of all the Governments represented on the Council, with the exception of the Italian delegate, confronted with the task of applying the provisions of the Covenant, which are mandatory in character, to the facts, which were not in dispute, felt themselves obliged to affirm that the Italian Government had had recourse to war in violation of Article 12. WILL ACCEPT CONSEQUENCES. "Strong as is the feeling of friendship towards Italy which inspires the United Kingdom, his Majesty's Government felt itself bound to assent to the final decision and accept the consequences which must inevitably ensue. His Majesty's Government does not conceal its anxiety to facilitate so far as lies. in its power as a member State of the League of Nations and at the earliest possible moment a settlement of the regrettable conflict now.in progress. • .'. . . ■.:,. .. . "But it is unable wholly to pass over the implication contained in the last paragraph of your Excellency's Note under reply, which refers to the 'free and sovereign judgment,' which his Majesty's Government is alleged to be at liberty to apply to the determination of its course of action. His Majesty's Government, in subscribing to the Covenant, did not indeed abandon or renounce its own free and sovereign judgment, but undertook to exercise it thenceforth in accordance with the obligations of that instrument. No other attitude is open to it, and it would naturally desire to see the Italian Government place a similar construction on its own adhesion to the Covenant."