LEAGUE OF NATIONS

Evening Star, Issue 20119, 8 March 1929, Page 11

LEAGUE OF NATIONS

PROCEEDINGS AT COUNCIL MEETING THE KELLOGG PACT STATEMENT BY SIR AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN CORRECTING WRONG IMPRES- ' SION. (British Official Wireless.) Press Association— By Telegraph— Copyright. RUGBY, March 7. (Received March 8, at noon.) At’ the Council of the League of Nations meeting this morning at Geneva; a draft resolution on the now procedure to bo followed on tiie question ot minorities was presented by the Japanese representative (Mr Adatclii), who had been appointed reporter at yesterday’s mccti »g. Mr Adutehi recommended that two other members of council (Sir Austen Chamberlain and Sen or, Quinones He Leon) should act with him on tho committee to examine tho proposals made yesterday and to draw up new rules for receiving minority petitions. Their recommendations are to be submitted to tho next sitting of tho council in June. As a sequel to the publication in American newspaper of a telegram > from Geneva, which attributed to Sir Austen Chamberlain a remark reflect- ' ing on the-vain, of the Kellogg Pact, : alleged to have been made by him when replying to a question during an interview with British correspondents, tho British Foreign Secretary to-day mado the following striking pronouncement; to Press representatives at Geneva : “ Let me say quite definitely and explicitly that 1 said nothing to belittle the importane of the Kellogg Pact. JC 1 had done so it would have been in contradiction to every public utterance that I have made since the pact was first proposed to us, and it would bo directly contrary to tho spirit in which both the British Government and tho British people welcomed and supported Jfr Kellogg’s initiative. Since J spoke to the British Press T have had an opportunity—which 1 had not then had—of reading President Hoover’s inaugural speech, and though our thoughts were naturally expressed in different language, if 1 may be permitted to say so I discovered no great difference between what the President said and what 1 said to yon here.

“ I have always regarded the Kellogg Pact as ono more barrier erected by international co-operation agaiusu w r. It goes to confirm and fortify the engagements already taken under other auspices by many nations.. It is common ground to ns all that those engagements, valuable as they are for the maintenance of peace, are not an absolute guarantee against war. The President said; ' Peace will become a, reality only through self-restraint ami active effort in friendliness and helpfulness.’

“ It is to such a change in the international outlook, and iu the standard of international relations, that 1, like the President, look to make real and solid the improved conditions which already reign among us. A question pub to me the other clay was whether I expected the Kellogg Pact to have an immediate and large effect on the progress of disarmament. As to this it would he dangerous to be too sanguine. The President himself, in the passage from which I have already quoted, observed that ‘ peace can be contributed to by respect for our ability in defence. Peace can be promoted by the limitation of arms and by the creation of-in-strumentalities for the peaceful settlement of controversies.’ I agree with that statement. Each new affirmation, of the sanctity of peace and of the obligation of each of us to maintain it helps forward the discussion of disarmament, but having regard to the difficulties which we have already experienced—despite the desire for disarmament which is common to us all—it would, I think, have been rash for anyone in a position as responsible as my own to pretend that a single act, howfever important, had brought ns to a solution of all our troubles. I wish, to emphasise and categorically deny that 1 ever made any statement to the Press here or to anyone else of the character which has apparently been attributed to me.” DISCORD MONGERS HOW THE FOREIGN SECRETARY. WAS MISREPRESENTED, Frees Association—By Telegraph—Copyright, LONDON, March 7. (Received March S, at 1.1.30 a.m.) The latest attempt to aroussc discord in Anglo-American relations is a New, York despatch from Genera, purporting to reveal Sir Austen Chamberlain in a confidential conference with British journalists describing the Kellogg,Pact as merely an American gesture suitable for Americans alone. .Further, that when ho was asked regarding the Pact's effect on disarmament, Sir Austen said: “ They are building fifteen cruisers, aren’t thev? Disarmament is not in the least ‘affected by the Washingon manoeuvre.”

Sir Austen Chamberlain, when shown the statement at Geneva, gave a categorical denial to it. The British United Press cor respondent at Geneva says that Sir, Austen Chamberlain did make a confidential statement to correspondents, but, tearing that he would bo misinterpreted, forbade publication. This was obeyed except by one American correspondent, 'who got the story, second hand.