UTTER DEJECTION

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 12904, 3 July 1936, Page 5

UTTER DEJECTION

MEETINC OF LEAGUE ASSEMBLY MR. TE WATER’S IRONY. M. LITVINOFF’S HUMOUR. WHY LEAGUE WAS INVENTED. “TO MAKE WORLD SAFE FOR AGGRESSORS.” (U.P:A. by Elec-. Tel. Copyright). (Received July. 3, 12.43 p.m.) GENEVA, July 2. Such an. atmosphere .of dejection has seldom overhung Geneva. The humiliation of tlio delegates was intensified by .Ur. Te Water’s speech, which created a very deep impression. The Morning Post’s Geneva correspondent declares that few speeches have so moved the assembly, especially because of its passionate sincerity. Mr. Vernon Bartlett, the NewsChronicle correspondent considers that no such open criticism of the great powers lias been heard since the days of Dr. Nansen. Delegates sliulV fled uncomfortably when Mi - . Te Water with effective irony contrasted Sir S. Iloarc’s proud lead in September with the powerlessness of the 30 nations to protect the weakest among them. Ho declared : “There must come a time in international relations when h. resignation would be - insufficient. Wc must,” lie said, “have. courage to act.” - • The only gleam of humour since the Assembly opened came from M. Litvinoff, who suggested that the League had not been invented merely to make the world safe for aggressors, generally. He- agreed that. Mr. Eden had performed a difficult task with dignified resignation. He had not attempted; rto conceal his own and the League’s humiliation. Mr. Eden was the only delegate to express sympathy with Emperor Selassie. ADDRESS BY MR. BRUCE. The depression coinmuniacted itself to the galleries, which were listless and-half empty when Mr. Bru--e opened the morning’s deliberations. Mr. Bruce declared that the question before the Assembly was whether sanctions should be lifted, maintained or increased. The grave responsibility in answering was increased by the fundamental questions involved. Those advocating the maintenance c: an increase of sanctions believed that this was necessary to preserve the League and also to show resxaeet for international law, but if sanctions could not prevent the. conquest of Abyssinia within a reasonable time it vould have been necessary to impose new and more far-reaching sanctions, which might lead to armed reaction on the part of Italy. It was doubtful whether the nations were prepared to meet armed force with armed force. The Commonwalth of Australia considered that sanctions should 1 e lifted but desired to co-operate a re view of the system of collective security in September to ensure an ei> feetvie system of international cooperation. . He continued: “Isn’t it fairer to Abyssinia, to declare ourselves now? Haven’t we misled that unfortunate nation long enough?” Mr. Bruce added that experience had shown that the' imposition of economic and financial sanctions had been futile and ineffective, but the devotion of the nations of the League had been insufficient to commit their peoples to a war involving their own immediate national interests. Last autumn new hope came to millions m the shape of collective security in reality, the collective judgment of the nations, to ensure justice. To-day | that hope was extinguished. | “Our task.” he said, “is to reI kindle it and ensure its realisation.