PARLIAMENT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 140, 15 May 1936, Page 9

PARLIAMENT

EFFECT OF SANCTIONS. NEW ZEALAND’S PART. MR FORBES URGES REVIEW. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, May 15. The House of Representatives met at 10.30 a.m. The United Wheatgrowers Bill was read flic third time and passed. 'the House proceeded to discuss papers presented to it dealing with the .League of Nations sanctions and the report of the Dominion representative on the sixteenth Assembly of the League. Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes said he thought the time had come for some stocktaking in regard to New Zealand’s position under the League of Nations. New Zealand, in imposing sanctions, had carried out all her requirements under the Covenant, but the position should now be examined. Through Japan, America and Germany standing out, it was found impossible to apply sanctions as might otherwise have been done. He thought >£ was a great pity that they had started out on such a scheme notwithstanding the fact that considerable indignation was felt at Italy attacking Abyssinia. It was found that some of the great nations were not prepared to stand behind the League and put the sanctions into operation. That was a weakness, and the whole thing was foredoomed to failure and ultimately became a farce. When it came to the point of putting all the sanctions into force no nation was prepared to do so. All the nations desired to avoid war, and when it came to considering grievances or disputes between nations sanctions could only be imposed if backed up by force. If the League was effective it should have been effective in the recent case, but the whole world had to stand by while Italy used modern methods of warfare against a primitive people. It was just slaughter, and Italy had slaughtered her way through and taken possession of Abyssinia. Mr Forbes said the war was practically over and, now having seen the complete breakdown of the existing machinery, the time had come tor the whole thing to be reviewed. They could not be expected to remain under the conditions which existed when the Covenant was signed, when they knew they were engaged in a futility. It was not pleasant, and had proved futile. He felt, however, that they should face the fact 6. The effect of sanctions had been that, instead of bringing about a feeling in the nations against whom they were applied that they were in the wrong, it had had the opposite effect. It was like adding kerosene to the flames. The effect was to isolate Britain, who was charged, with other nations, with trying to prevent Italy from her rightful expansion. That was all that had emerged from the sanctions. He thought it was a matter that should be brought before the Imperial Conference.

It was time united action on the part of the British Common wealth of nations was taken. There was no use keeping up the pretence that in keeping up the League. of Nations they could deal with nations who wanted to wage a war of aggression. "They should face the facts and see if something can!;! not be devised that would handle things better than the Covenant of the League.

War budgets, added Mr Forbes, had swollen to a tremendous extent, which showed that any belief in the pow3r cf the League of Nations had disappeared from the minds of those responsible for the government of the various countries of the world. PREMIER AGREES.

The Prime Minister (Mr M. J. Savage) said he agreed with Mr Forbes. It was necessary tor nations to have ideais, hut there was no use in having ideals unless they were prepared to back them up. He thought they would go a long way towards abolishing wars it the League of .Nations outlawed the private manufacture of munitions. He quoted the sanctions that had been put into operation and the effect they had had on Italy Mr Savage said no complications had arisen through Mew Zealand carrying out her obligations, because she had had the co-operation of the commercial community. The application of sanctions was cither right or wrong, and if they were applied the nations that applied them should be prepared to go the whole way; but he was looking forward to the time when i: would bo unnecessary to do any such thing. What was wanted was collective action to maintain the peace of the world. Peaceloving people were in a quandary as to what were to be the next steps, and there was a big job ahead not iy of the British Commonwealth of Nations, but also of all the nations of the world. Mr Savage thought the League might be revised, but until the representatives of the nations could meet on common grounds, determined to reach an agreement and enforce the agreement, they would not get very far: but lie wanted idealists at the table. . . Mr Savage was optimistic about the future.. He thought the time was rapiuly approaching when the foundauon 01 peace wid have been laid. He hoped uie economic conditions that had caused war would be abolished. \V lien the representatives of the British Commonwealtn of Nations met they should meet for a common purpose and suouid he united. He was hoping and praying they would direct greater attention loan ever before for bringing about peace between the nations. Mr Savage thought that Britain in future, scattered as it was over the greater part of the earth, would play a major part m bringing about peace upon earth. AVbaiever New Zealand and the New Zealand Government could do in the direction, not only of reducing armaments but making war impossible altogether, ought to he done. No effort and no expense should be spared in the way of bringing it about. He would like to see a referendum taken ot the people of the earth, and ventured to predict that they would say, “Give us peace.” Mr H. S. S. Kyle: Bo you think you would get that from Germany P Mr Savage: Yes, I think we would get it from Germany to-morrow. The Premier said they could not afford to try to stand alone; they had to work in the collective sense. He wanted to see the British Commonwealth of Nations standing together and not standing alone. He thought the nations of the earth would stand with them in shaping the foundations of peace.