LEAGUE ASSEMBLY

Evening Star, Issue 20587, 12 September 1930, Page 9

LEAGUE ASSEMBLY

■ *♦* 1 ELEVENTH ANNUAL MEETING RETIRING PRESIDENT’S SPEECH Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. GENEVA, September 10. Geneva has once again become the babel of every European tongue, and many from Asia, for the eleventh annual League of Nations Assembly, which was opened this forenoon by the holding of council meetings before the meeting of tho Assembly. There is no doubt that tho uppermost topic at this assembly will be the debate on M. Briand’s European federation plan. Senor Querrero, tho retiring president, said that when they considered tho deep-rooted errors that the League had been called upon to eradicate they must be gratified by what had been done since 1929. It would be idle to ignore tho fact that there was a certain uneasiness in various parts of tho world, but this feeling was productive of less uneasiness than was apparent at first sight. The assembly would welcome M. Briand’s plan, which showed the way to complete consolidation of European peace. The Assembly elected M. Titulescu (Rumania) as president. GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS. GENEVA, September 11. (Received September 12, at 12.30 p.m.) The Assembly’s eagerness to get down to the principal topics, instead of wasting tho early days in listening to flowery platitudes from representatives of the smaller States, led M. Briand to take the rostrum in tho forenoon to expound his United States of Europe plan. He said he had discussed the scheme with leading Americans, who said it would be an insult to their intelligence to suggest that the federation was aimed against America. On the contrary, it would tend to strengthen the consumptive capacity of Europe, which was America’s largest customer.

Cheers greeted the announcement that definite progress had been made in solving the Franco-Italian naval disagreement problem. Mr Henderson rather increased tho view that no great result was to be expected from the plan of a European federation. Ho only gave tho subject a passing reference before he delivered his prepared oration dealing with disarmament, which is nearer to tho MacDonald Ministry’s heart. Mr Henderson’s real message consisted of one of the strongest British pleas for real progress in disarmament ever heard in Geneva. Although it was his first attendance at the League, Sir Thomas Wilford (New Zealand’s High Commissioner) was honoured by election to tho Assembly’s committee of seven, which is supervising tho agenda. Sir Thomas Wilford is also on six other committees —(1) Constitutional Questions, (2) Technical and Economic, (3) Disarmament, (4) Finance, (5) Health and Social Questions, and (6) Political. At the plenary meeting of the Assembly M. Briand, in an optimisticspeech, declared that the League was increasing in authority among tho nations of the world. It was a barrier against war. There were still difficulties regarding disarmament. Franco was doing her best to overcome them. He realised that there were obstacles to his plan for a European federation, but with the cordial co-operation of all nations these could bo surmounted. M. BRIAND SUPPORTS HIS PLAN MR HENDERSON’S VIEWS. RUGBY, September 11. (Received September 12, at 11 a.m.) At the League Assembly at Geneva to-day M. Briand, addressing the gathering on his European federation scheme, said that all the countries which had replied to the questionnaire were favourable to the principle of federation. It was logical, said M, Briand, that the countries which had suffered most from the recent war should work together to prevent another war. No conclusion had so far been reached save that some sorb of a federation was necessary. M. Briand said there were many obstacles on the way to disarmament, but many had been surmounted already. So far as France was concerned, it would not have been possible for her to reduce her armaments in tho way she bad done if the League had nob paved tho way to security. ,He recalled the work of the London Conference, and said that ns Foreign Minister he was in touch with neighbouring friendly nations, and he hoped that accord would be reached which would complete the London agreements.

The British Foreign Secretary iMr Henderson), in referring to MBriand’s speech, said.the closest collaboration of the European Governments was vitally important to European peace. The British Government bad stated its opinion in reply to the questionnaire, and had expressed its great sympathy with the proposal. Whatever developed from a discussion of the scheme, the British Government hoped that it would bo carried into effect in collaboration with the league and would be consistent with the international obligations of League membership. and would help forward the League’s disarmament policy.

Mr Henderson said the British Government heartily supported tho majority report of tho Committee on the Reorganisation of the League Secretariat, and hoped that it would be unanimously adopted. He also hoped that tbo optional clause would bo universally adopted, because he regarded it as a first step towards the settlement of all questions by peacable methods. He emphasised that Britain and the dominions had already ratified tho optional clause.

One of the chief tasks of tho Imperial Conference would be to consider what further contribution tho various members of the British Commonwealth coulw make in tho cause of disarmament and world’s peace. Mr Henderson maintained that of all tha security measures disarmament was the most important, and ho trusted that further progress would bo made this year. ITALIAN DELEGATE IN DANGER OF ASSASSINATION. GENEVA, September 10, Signor Grandi, who had attended tho League of Nations Council, left lor Italy to-day without waiting for the opening of the Assembly. It is rumoured at Geneva that Signor Grandi was in danger of assassination in revenge for tho execution of the four Yugo-Slavs who attempted to blow up the offices of a newspaper at Trieste. It was feared that terrorists might take advantage of the easy access to Ministers at Geneva, since they aro quartered in ordinary hotels. The head of the Italian delegation is not a Minister. The french foreign Minister, M. Briand. early in May proposed to the Council of the League of Nations that the Euiopean States should fem themselves into a federation modelled on the League, with an assembly, a council, and a secretariat, its headquarters probably at Geneva. His scheme was “ a regime of federal union in Europe,” which he sot out in a memorandum comprising a preamble and four chapters. Chap' r 1. set forth the need of a general pact proclaiming the principle of European moral unity and solidarity. By a broad formula, serving the common cause of organising Europe for peace, the signatory Governments would pledge themselves to maintain regular contact by periodical or special meetings to examine all questions of primary interest to the European commonwealth of peoples. . . , Chapter 11. outlined the union’s machinery, which would consist of (a) a . opresentative authoritative European conference, made up of representatives of all European States in the League, the post of president being held by States in rotation; (b) a permanent political committee, composed of some of these members, to serve as an executive body and an organ of research, meeting at the same time as the League Council, the post of president being held by States in rotation. The terms or reference would be wide, including plans for federal union, for the study of political, social, economic questions not yet considered by the League ; (c) a secretariat to see that the decisions or the conference and committee aro carried out, prepare agenda, and so on, eventually to reside at Geneva. . . Chapter 111. discussed the principles guiding the programme for the organisation of Europe. For example, the economic problem must bo subordinated to the political. European political cooperation must rest on union—not unity—which respects sovereign rights, but enables all States to obtain the advantage of collective solidarity in settling European politicrl questions. The economic organisation of Europe would take the f-rm of a rapprochement cl economic systems, brought about tinder the political res; -nsibility of the Govemraents. ■ , Chapter IV. enumerated tho questions which “ it is opportune, to reserve for discussion, either oy the next buropean Conference or by the future European Committee.” These questions were (1) General economy (i.e., tin effective lealisation in Europe of the economic programme drawn up by the League of Nations, control of the policies of trusts and cartels between various countries, examination and preparation of future possible reductions of tariffs); (2) economic machinery vi.e., tho co-ordination of tho major public enterprises carried out by the European States); (3) communications and transit; (4) finance; (5) labour (i.e., the solution of labour problems pecubar to Europe); (6) hygiene; (7) intellectual co-operation: (8) interparliamentary relations; i 9) administration (i.e., the formation of European sections ;n certain internatonal organsations, The memorandum concluded: “ It is the decisive hour for Europe to-listen and choose her own fate. To unite m order to live and prosper; that is the necessity which confronts European na tions to-day. The peoples seem to have made their feelings clear; the Governments must now accept their responsibilities. Otherwise the grouping of material and moral forces for the common benefit, which it is their collective task to control, will be abandoned to tho dangers and chances of _un-co-ordi-nated individual initiatives.’’