IRELAND FOR PEACE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 232, 17 September 1935, Page 7

IRELAND FOR PEACE

DE VALERA IRONIC Fiery Speech to Assembly DELEGATES HELD RAPT (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Received 17, 10.30 a.m.) GENEVA, Sept. 16. The Associated Press says that Mr de Valera’s fiery, almost religious, delivery held delegates rapt while lie added perhaps the most striking appeal yet uttered in the Assembly for the rights of the smaller nations against imperialism. He came solidly against Signor Mussolini with the pledge that the Free State would support collective action.

“By our own choice we entered the Covenant’s obligations, and we shall fulfill them to the < letter and ■ spirit, ’ ’ Mr de Valera declared. “If the sovereignty of the weakest is not respected—if there is picking and choosing when to apply the law-—then the League is useless.’’ Mr de Valera spoke with bitter irony of the peace conference which would follow war, when a settlement would be reached because the parties were ruined and exhausted, and he appealed for relaxation of the conservatism regarding colonial possessions before the slaughter began. General Memours, the Haitian delegate, appealed to the League of Nations as the representative of a coloured nation not to draw the colour line against Abyssinia. He declared that all coloured people trusted the spirit of justice and peace inspiring League members.

Senor Galileo Solis, Panama delegate, also supported the Covenant.

S. AFRICA’S ATTITUDE

Will Shoot if Attacked

CLOUDS WILL BLOW OVER

(Received 17, 12.15 p.m.) PRETORIA, Sept. 16. “We shall shoot if we are attacked, but only if we are attacked,” declared the Defence Minister Mr. Pirow, referring to Mr. te Water’s statement to the League regarding South Africa’s co-operation in sanctions. “While we are ready to do our duty by the League, no nation will fire a- shot. Certainly South Africa does not intend to do so. I believe that the war clouds will soon blow over.”

A Salisbury message reports that tho Premier, Mr. Huggins, declared that Southern Rhodesia would follow Britain s course regarding sanctions. WAR RISK CANCELLED Significant Move by Lloyd’s SHIPS MAY ALTER ROUTES (Received 17, 9.40 a.m.) LONDON, Sept. 16. The “Sun-Herald” news-service says that various shipping companies with ships sailing to Australia and the East via the Suez Canal continue to book passengers and freight as normally, though there was a significant development to-day when Lloyd’s underwriters cancelled the war-risk clause on ten days’ notice, after which there will be separate war contracts between the underwriters and merchants at a slightly increased rate. The Orient Line, in the event of difficulties in the Mediterranean, will omit Naples and avoid the Straits of Messina, steering south of Sardinia direct from Toulon to Port Said. No change is thus far contemplated, but it will become operable at a moment’s notice. The importance of Lloyds giving merchants notice of cancellation of war risks for the first time since the World War should not be exaggerated, but, nevertheless it deepens the impression of the seriousness of the position. FIND A NOBLER WAY Women Appeal to Duce (Received 17, 12.30 p.m.) GENEVA. Sept. 16.

The peace committee of women’s international organisations, with a membership of 50,000.000 representing 60 nations, telegraphed Signor Mussolini urging him to choose a new and nobler way of international co-opera-tion as action worthy of Italy’s civilising mission. refusaiTto load South African Dock Workers CAPETOWN, Sept. 16. Following further refusals by dock workers to handle Italian ships, the Premier, General Hertzog, made a statement to the Trades Federation re. gretting any action by the South African population in disregard of the provisions of the Covenant. The Government hitherto had treated Italy commercially in the same manner as other countries The Federation replied that it believed that its action was supported by the vast majority of South Africans. DESTROYERS RALLY

SINGAPORE, Sept 16. The destroyers, Duchess, Dainty. Daring and Diamond, from Hong Kong, aro joining His Majesty’s ships Cornwall and Adventure here. The reason for the sudden concentration is unknown.