THREE-POWER TREATY

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 113, 9 April 1930, Page 9

THREE-POWER TREATY

SOON READY FOR SIGNING. CONSIDERABLE SAVING. EFFECT OF RESERVATIONS. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) Received April 9, 11 a.in. LONDON, April 8. It is learned that a three-Power treaty will shortly be ready tor signing. Australia, New Zealand and- Canada will sign separately from Britain, in accordance with the declaration of the Imperial Conference of 1926. it is stated that South Africa will not be a signatory ; as she is not interested in the Pacific Ocean. The treaty will mean a considerable saving in building programmes, but reservations give the right to resummon the signatories if construction on the part of European Powers makes it necessary. POLITICAL ASPECTS. (British Official Wireless.) Received April 9, 10.35 a.m. RUGBY, April S. Mr Ramsay MacDonald had a long conversation with M. Briand at the House of Commons this afternoon on the political aspects of the Naval Conference, which were the subject of a private discussion in London last week, and upon which M. Briand consulted his Government in Paris during the week-end. Other aspects of the conference were discussed by the delegates and experts during the day at St. James’s Palace. After the meeting between Mr MacDonald and M. Briand the following communique was issued: “M. Briand informed Mr MacDonald of the result of the conversations which he had in Paris, and on his side Mr MncDonald stated the results of the discussions which had taken place in the meantime in London.” It is understood that the discussions will bo continued to-morrow. Mr MacDonald stated in the House of Commons that the Government was still working to secure a five-Powcr agreement. INTERPRETATION OF ARTICLE 16. STATEMENT IN COMMONS. (British Official Wireless). RUGBY, April 7. Mr Godfrey Locker-Lampson, UnderSecretary for Foreign Affairs in the late Conservative Government, moved this evening in the House of Commons an adjournment of the House ‘‘on a definite matter of urgent public importance, namely, the imminence of an agreement between the Government and foreign Powers regarding the interpretation to be placed on Article 16 of the Covenant of the League of Nations without any i consultation with the Council of the League and thereby engendering suspicion and endangering good relations with other Powers.” The Prime Minister, in reply, said that he was being asked whether, if there was any re-interpretation of Article 16 of the Covenant, involving fresh commitments, and if a re-interpreta-tiin was to be made, lie would consult the other members of the Council of the League and give the House an opportunity of considering the matter before any agreement involving 6Uch re-interpretation was entered into. If he gave a pledge of that character it would amount to this —that it would be quite impossible for this Government, 'or any other Government, to exchange views or express its views regarding the meaning of the article, which was somewhat vague in its meaning as between France and ourselves, Germany and ourselves, or Czecho Slovakia and ourselves. He could not make such a pledge. What was more, there could not be such a pledge. The Prime Minister continued ‘‘Reference has been made to certain work that we have in hand just now. If we do discuss Article 16, all that it amounts to is that one says to the other: ‘What meaning do we individually attach to Article 16?’ At Locarno that was not the case. At Locarno Germany wanted an assurance as to what obligations it would be undertaking if it joined the League bf Nations. That is a very serious thing. That is an absolute interpretation which I say straight away can only be made by the Council of the League if it is going to have any binding authority at all. But at Locarno that interpretation was given by the Powers other than Germany represented there, and the interpretation was a new one in its language, which was not found in the Covenant of the League. It was handed to Germany as a guarantee, and initialled and approved of as an annex in the treaty. I am not raising that in any controversial spirit, but as a matter of history. No one knows better than Mr Locker-Lamp-son that no Prime Minister or Foreign Secretary can give the pledge which he asks for. All we can do is to say that, having ascertained as far as we humanly can the opinion of the country and the opinion of the House, we shall conduct negotiations and discussions oh these subjects with that opinion well in mind and never forgotten at any stage. We have been doing our best during the last two and a-half months.” Mr MacDonald added that if the leaders of the parties consulted him he would tell them exactly the state of affairs. This would not commit either of them to support him, but they would understand the difficulties. Sir Samuel Hoare (Conservative) said that he rvould convey the Prime Minister’s suggestion to Mr Baldwin. The Liberal leader also accepted the proposal, because it was very desirable that foreign policy should not be the subject of a controversy between the parties. , Mr Locker-Lampson consequently withdrew his motion. Article 16 of the League Covenant is as follows: ‘‘Should uny member of the League resort to war in disregard of its covenants under Articles 12, 13 or 15, it shall ipso facto bo deemed, to have committed an act of war against all other members of the- League, which hereby undertake immediately to subject it to the severance of all trade or financial relations, the prohibition of all intercourse between their nationals and the nationals of the covenant-breaking member of the League, and the prevention of all financial, commercial or personal intercourse between the nationals of the oovenant-breaking member of the League and the nationals of any other State, whether a member of the League or not. It shall be the duty of the Council in such c«a to recommend to the several Governments concerned what effective military or naval force the members of tho League 6hall severally contribute to the armed forces to be used to protect the covenants of the League. Tho members of the League agree, further, that they will mutually support one another in the financial and economic measures which are taken under this Article, in order to minimise the loss and inconvenience resulting from the above measures, and that they will mutually support one another in resisting any special measures aimed at one of their number by the covenant-breaking member | of the League, and that they will take the necessary steps to afford passage through

thoir territory to the forces of any of the members of tho League which are co-op-erating to protect the covenants of the League. Any member of the League which has violated any covenant of the League may be declared to be no longer a member of the League by a vote of the Council concurred in by representatives of all tho other members of the League represented thereon.