EXTREME PLAN

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

EXTREME PLAN

CONCILIATION DRAFT AGREEMENT DOUBTFUL League May Not Assent SOVEREIGNTY SAFEGUARDED (By Telegraph—Press Assn.-Copyright.) (Received 17, 12.45 p.m.) GENEVA, Sept. 16. The Conciliation Committee has completed its draft report for consideration by the Big Five on September 17. It safeguards Abyssinia’s sovereign rights. The Paris newspaper “Le Soir” attributes to a member of the sub-committee a statement that the report far exceeds the British and French proposals, reaching the extreme limit of the League’s powers and raising doubt whether other members of the Council will agree to the recommendations.

The Paris correspondent of the “Manchester Guardian’’ wonders how Abyssinia can accept such proposals or even how the Council can .decently propose them to Abyssinia. He adds: “ France will not refuse to subscribe to sanctions against Italy, though she will probably attempt to limit them to financial and economic sanctions. ’

The “Daily Telegraph’s’’ Rome correspondent understands that Signor Mussolini is dissatisfied with the Conciliation Committee’s draft, which is expected to recommend that, since Abyssinia is powerless to fulfil her treaty obligations, she urgently needs reform, and that a principal foreign adviser should be established in the capital and regional advisers throughout the country, but not by military aggression. Italian troops must be withdrawn. Ogaden and Danakil should be given to Italy in exchange for portions of British and French Somaliland.

An earlier cable stated:—The Council will probably meet on September 17 and consider the adoption of the report under Article XV., thereupon presumably applying Article XII., under which the parties agree not to resort to war until three months after the decision of the Council. Italy at this stage must decide to leave the League in disregard of the Covenant or defer hostilities for three months, which is improbable as it would be tantamount to whittling down Saturday’s decision. NO HOPE OF PEACE Italy Sends More Troops • (Received 17. 12.45 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 16. Those in well-informed circles consider that the dispatch of 12,000 additional troops to Abyssinia during the past 24 hours does not justify hopes for peace. OUR SIGNATURE BINDING Dominion and the League MR. FORBES’S COMMENT By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, Sept. 16. Commenting on the position .at Geneva, the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, said to-night that Sir James Parr’s speech as regarded New Zealand’s policy required no comment or expansion from the Government here. New Zealand had signed the League Covenant and she intended to honour her signature. Sir James was acting throughout on this understanding and there was no need for any special instructions to be cabled.

Asked whether the Government bad been told by the British Government just what form the enforcement of sanctions would take in the case i-f Italy and Abyssinia, Mr Forbes said flat nothing relating to that question had been communicated. The actions of the League signatories would be discussed and decided only when onfcreejnent of sanctions was agreed to.

Mr Forbes considered that any commercial iso’ation of Italy would not directly or immediately concern New Zealand, and he hoped that the situation would rot develop even as fer as that.