AT GENEVA.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XII, Issue 240, 23 September 1922, Page 5

AT GENEVA.

BRITISH EMPIRE UNITY. DELEGATES JOINTLY URGE INTERVENTION. BY THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS. (Received 23, 8.45 a.m.) London, Sept. 21. Sir Joseph Cook informed the Australian Press Association that the whole Empire delegation at Geneva, including Britain and India, were now loyally-co-operating as one unit in jointly urging on Mr Lloyd George the request for intervention by the League of Nations. At a meeting of the combined British delegations to the League of Nations the warmest assurances of solidarity were given and it was unanimously resolved to act in the crisis as a unit. The Maharajah of Nawanagar, in the Assembly to-day, declared that one virtue of the British nation was that however the dominions of the Empire might differ among themselves, when threatened by a common foe they were a united family. The co-operation of the British delegations in this crisis is regarded here as of the greatest importance, owing to the fact that each self-governing part of the British Empire is separately represented and the combined delegations are equal numerically and in voting power to France, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Holland, Portugal, or any other six' continental nations.—f A and N.Z.) BRITISH TRADES UNION LEADERS. CONFER WITHTWYD GEORGE. governmenTequaldy ANXIOUS FOR PEACE. London, Sept. 21. An official communique states that a from the general council of the trades unions met Mr. Llovd George, Sir R. S. Horne and Sir L. '' orthmgton-Evans at Downing Street vr Mr r lun 1 u n Tillett « Miss Bondfield and Mr. J. H. Thomas expressed the council's views on the Near Eastern situation and Mr. Lloyd George replied. It is unofficially stated that the Labour leaders expressed the opinion that the Dardanelles should be kept neutral but that this was a world matter and not a question for the British nation alone. Moreover, the presence of the Allied forces on the Asiatic side of the Straits was indefensible. A solution of the problem could be obtained by negotiation. It is understood Mr. IJoyd George assured the deputation that the Government was as anxious as they were to maintain peace and he believed a settlement would be secured. The executive of the Miners’ Federation adopted a resolution emphatically disagreeing with the Government’s Near Eastern policy and declaring that it will oppose by all possible means any step taken that involves the workmen in further bloodshed, also expressing the opinion that the whole question should be referred to the League of Nations for final determination.—(A. and N.Z.) IMPRESSED BY SITUATION'S GRAVITY. LABOUR DECLINER RESPONSIBILITY. OF OPPOSING GOVERNMENT’S POLICY. London, Sept. 22. The “Daily Express” says ( talks whether) the secrecy of the Labourite interview with Mr. Lloyd George does not signify that the Ne?r Eastern situation is so grave that he fears to excite the public by removing the veil. After the Labourites considered Mr. Llovd George’s reply they returned to Downing Street and informed him that they had passed no resolution, meaning that they refused to take the responsibility of opposing the British policy.—(“Argus.”) AMERICA. ARMY OFFICER’S OPINION. MASSACRE RESULT OF PREMATURE (1918) ARMISTICE. Now York, Sept. 22. General George Hurries, who was commanding officer of the port of Brest during the war, in the course of a speech at Atlantic City, called the armistice the second big blunder of the war, the first being Germany ’s declaration of War. “We could have in live days more captured the German army and had a military victory. We went as far as the politicians allowed us. aud the armistice is responsible for the massacre nt Smyrna.”— flntl N.Z.) FOR RELIEF OF REFUGEES. RUSSIAN SUPPLIES DIVERTED TO SMY RNA. fßeceived 23, 8.5 a.m.) Washington, Sept. 21. Congress appropriated £40,000 for Smyrna. Mr Hoover announced that 1500 carloads of food destined for Russia would bo diverted to Sinyrna.Admiral Bristol has telegraphed the State Department that lack of instructions from the Allied Governments to their representatives in Constantinople prevented him from working out a comprehensive plan for international co-operation in Near East relief work. He conferred with the British and Italian High Commissioners, but they were unable to take any action.—(A. and N.Z.) AUSTRALIA’S DANCER. TN EVENT OF A HOLY WAR. Sydney, Sept. 22. At a Million Club luncheon Sir Joseph Carruthers, vice-president of the Executive Council, referring to the danger of a Mohammedan war from the Near East trouble, said Australia would be one part of the Empire most endangered in such a war. She could, and probably would be attacked. NEW ZEALAND. LOYALTY OF THE PEOPLE. A GLORIOUS*RECORD. Wellington, Sept. 22. Before the House rose to-night the Premier read the following letter, which he bad received from the Gover-nor-General :— "The events of the last few days have emphasised in a most striking manner the strength of the ties which bind New Zealand to the Motherland and to the remainder of our great Empire, and as His Ma jesty's representative in this Dominion I am anxious to express to you, and through you to the people of New Zealand, my intense admiration cf the wonderful response which the first h?nt of serious danger to Imperial interests has brought forth. It seems hardly creditable that in the absence of any call for volunteers a total of 12,000 officers and other ranks and 300 nurses should in the short period of four days have registered their names for service if required. lam indeed proud to have the honour of asseciation with an outpost of the Empire where such a spirit lives, and I tender my heartfelt appreciation and admiration to the people who hold so glorious a re- i cord,”