Appeal to Italy

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 109, 21 April 1936, Page 7

Appeal to Italy

LEAGUE RESOLUTION Council Members Consider Draft PRESSURE MUST GO ON (By Telegraph-Press Assn., Copyright.) (Beceived 21, 1.10 p.m.) GENEVA, April 21. The League Council met privately and considered a resolution drawn up by a number of “neutral” delegates. The last passage is the most important; it leads; “The Council addresses to Italy a supreme appeal that, m view of the present circumstances, which require the collaboration of all nations, she may bring a solution to the conflict in the spirit which the League expects from a founder member who also has a permanent seat on the Council.

"The Council reaffirms that the protocol of June 17, 1925, regarding the use of asphyxiating, poisonous or other gases and also other conventions regulating methods of war bind the two parties to the dispute and calls attention to the importance given the protocol by all signatories, including Italy and Ethiopia.” Baron Aloisi objected to the last paragraph in its original form and secured modification so that the resolution, as cabled, indirectly condemns the Abyssinian atrocities as well as Italy's use of poison gas. The early part of the resolution notes that the report of the Committee of Thirteen approves and renews the Committee’s appeal to the parties for prompt cessation of hostilities and restoration of peace, and notes that on April 5 Ethiopia, in replying to this appeal, accepted the opening of negotiations subject to the observance of the Covenant and that on March 8 Italy agreed to negotiation in principle. The resolution regrets that cessation of hostilities is not realisable and that the war continues under conditions declared to be contrary to the Covenant and involving the execution of the obligations provided by the Covenant. Mr. Bruce, at a brief public session, put the resolution. Baron Aloisi annoyneM that he would vote aguinst it. Mr. Wolde Murium complained that the resolution did not protest against

it had been conceived. The British Government had endeavoured faithfully to fulfil its undertaking to take part in measures collectively decided upon under the Covenant. "We were and are ready to do this, though we have always been conscious of the limits which are a consequence of the League’s incomplete membership, ” he said. "The obligation had to be fulfilled, even though none could tell whether fulfilment would be rapid enough or effective enough to determine tho issue as between aggressor and victim.

"The British Government has always been conscious of the limitation upon League action. The measures and shape of any collective action must therefore to some extent represent a compromise. What may seem too slow to some may seem too fast to others. It Is of no use to ignore the facts. "The serious consequences for the League of the events of the last seven months could scarcely be exaggerated. Tho confidence which members of the League would feel justified in placing in this organisation in future must in a large measure be influenced by success or failure in the present instance.” In tho view of His Majesty’s Government it -was their manifest duty as members of the League at least to maintain those economic and financial sanctions already in force.

M. Paul-Boncour associated himself with Mr. Eden’s remarks about poison gas, but added that it was impossible to humanise war. There was little hope, onco war started, of enforcing limits.