LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 24 March 1926, Page 9

LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

EXTRA EDITION.

GERMANY’S ADMISSION. ADVERSE MOTION REJECTED. BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. Received 12.20 p.m. to-day. BERLIN, March 23. The Reichstag, by 259 to 141 votes, rejected the German National Party’s demand for a motion of no-confidence in the Government, including a demand that Germany shall withdraw her application for admission to the League of Nations.

The Reichstag adopted the Government parties’ motion approving of the attitude of the German delegation at Geneva, and regrettnig that the outcome of the Geneva negotiations did not correspond with the justifiable German expectations and declaring that the Reichstag expects that the Government will speedily obtain a guarantee that the promises made at Locarno, especially as regards occupied regions shall be "fulfilled as soon as possible, in accordance with Germany’s just demands, and thus make effective, before Germany’s entry, the agreement reached at Geneva with regard to the maintenance and continuance of the policy.—Reuter.

DEBATE IN THE COMMONS. LOCARNO POWERS RESPONSIBLE MR. LLOYD GEORGE OPENS ATTACK. Received 1.45 p.m. to-day. LONDON, March 23. Sir Austen Chamberlain wore a stern expression when entering a crowded and expectant House of Commons, and it did not relax in response to Ministerialist cheers. Mr Lloyd George initiated the debate by moving a reduction of the Foreign Office vote to call attention to the proceedings at Geneva and the action of the British representative there. He regretted that Sir Austen Chamberlain had not seen fit to take the floor first, as he did after Locarno, and explain how Locarno was checked at Geneva. He declared that the Locarno Powers were responsible for the Geneva failure. The peace of the world hung on the action which the House of Commons would take and directed the Government to take in future. The events at Geneva had undoubtedly antagonised the United States to the League. Sweden, which took a right and courageous course at Geneva, represented the public opinion of Britain also, yet the’Swedish delegate. Mr Unden. was treated as a stubborn, irreconcilable pro-German, thcugh he had done more to save the League than anv other one man.—Reuter.

FAILURE AT GENEVA. OLD DIPLOMACY AND THE LBAjGUE. FIRST CLASH OF TWO FORCES. Rleceived 11.50 a.m. to-day. LONDON, March 23. The Geneva eon*e.spondenit of the Times .says that the discussions at Geneva failed because they were the first clash between traditional diplomacy and the League’s machinery. Diplomacy is normally slow, but rapidity is essential at League meetings, causing terrific intensity in the negotiations between fifty nations, necessitating six. ■days’ work by old .methods being done in one, yet its ramifications are endless. The trail could be traced to the Far East and S6uth America, with a maze of side-trades resulting in the issues to be settled within ten days. Probably Sir Austen Chamberlain erred throughout the first week in negotiating solely with the signatories of the Locarno Pact. Among those excluded were Senor Franco, who may have resented it, resulting in his eventual stujbbomess. The others, including Spain, also objected, to Sir Austen Chamberlain’.s methods. M. Briand persuaded Germany to : accept the Swedish and Ozecho-Slovakian offers, but the ship he steered, laden with paraphernalia of the old diplomacy, clashed into the League’s hull, resulting in both being damaged, and disclosing the old blarqlie’,si cunning dodges, threats and hidden motives. The League should not be blamed for this unsavoury business, because it recalled the badness of the old diplomacy. It has also been proved that even within the League, a nation cannot be forced to accept a policy of which it disapproves.—Times.

MOTION REJECTED. Received 2.5 p.m. to-day. LONDON, March 23. Mr Lloyd George’s motion was rejected by 325 votes to 136.—Reuter. TIRPITZ OPPOSES JOINING LEAGUE. . A MUCH HECKLED SPEECH. Received 2.30 p.m. to-day. BERLIN, March 23. Von Tirpitz has made his maiden speech in the Reichstag. He was constantly heckled by members of the Left, especially when he declared that Gera.any must withdraw her application for entrance to the League, of Nations, “otherwise trumps will remain in the hands of our adversaries.” Continuing, he said: “We should not play with the open cards. Everyone knew that Herr Stresemann and Dr. Luther entered a trap at Geneva. If their policy continued Germany would become a dependency of France. It was imperative that Germany should follow the lead of the United States towards the League. Dr. Luther vigorously replied. He declared that in the United States opinion was swinging towards Germany. If Germany withdrew her application, her policy would stink in the nostrils of the world.—A. and N.Z. Assn.