WORLD PROBLEMS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 255, 27 September 1932, Page 7

WORLD PROBLEMS

MR DE VALERA’S SPEECH. CRITICISM OF THE LEAGUE. RECEIVED IN STONY SILENCE. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph .—Copy right.) Received September 27, 9.20 a.m. GENEVA, Sept. 26. “People are complaining that the League is over active in secondary matters, but shelves, postpones and ignores problems touching the people’s very existence. We are facing testing times,” said Mr do Valera at the opening of tho Assembly of the League. He added that much of tho criticism was unjustified, uninformed and not wholly disinterested, but the League would undoubtedly be judged by the results of tho Disarmament Conference in which, the progress was far short of the world’s desire.

The larger problems in the Far East were unsolved, but all hoped that the Lytton report would conduce to a just settlement. There was world-wide evidence of an impending economic collapse, he said. One hundred million people faced starvation in a world of plenty. The nations must face the desperate situation frankly and honestly. “Blue books and complacent resolutions cannot satisfy the general demand for action. We are the defendants at the bar of public opinion, with a burden and a justification almost overwhelming.” Referring to Ireland, he said: “We want you to believe tiiat we in Ireland desire peace at home and throughout the world. In spite of tho misleading reports 1 , we have consistently sought to lead our own lives in our own way, contributing to the world the best in us and pursuing a policy to securo a proper adjustment of our own sound economic life.”

Mr do Valera finally lapsed into Gaelic with an,invocation for a divine blessing bn their labours. Mr do Valera’s speech ended in stony silence. He is the most discussed man at Geneva.