ATTITUDE TO SANCTIONS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 170, 19 June 1936, Page 11

ATTITUDE TO SANCTIONS

BRITISH POLICY DECLARED

NO UTILITY IN CONTINUATION

MR EDEN’S SPEECH

(United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (British Official Wireless.) Received June 19, 11.9 a.m. RUGBY, June 18. Before a House crowded in every part for his statement on the Government’s policy at the fortneoming meeting of the League of Nations, the Foreign Secretary (Mr 11. A. Eden) announced this afternoon, in the House of Commons, that, while ready to take part in whatever action might be collectively determined, His Majesty’s Government had decided, for its part, that there was no' utility in the continuation of sanctions against Italy. He added the assurance that the Government would devote itself to restoring the League to its full authority. In a later stage of his speech, Mr Eden referred to the effort of successive British Governments to bring about a reconciliation between France and Germany, and to the situation created by Germany’s repudiation of her Locarno obligations on March 7. He said the British Government, in’ the present circumstances, felt justified in looking for an early reply from Herr Hitler’s Government to the enquiries recently addressed to it. The Foreign Secretary said the Government, welcomed the opportunity of makinp - plain their attitude on a number of the problems confronting the League of Nations, upon which the League States together would have to reach a decision before the close of the month.

BRITAIN’S FULL PART. Mr Eden said that from the beginning of the Italo-Ethiopian dispute the British Government had taken a full part in collective action. It might he argued that the collective action should have been more complete, Mr Eden said, countering interruptions from the Opposition, hut none could deny that the British Government had played a full part, and they would continue to do so. “We shall act fully and loyally, in line with any action the Assembly may decidc upon,’ Sir Eden said. The Government might, if tliev cared, Mr Eden went on, have left it at that, but at a period of difficulty in the League’s history that would not, in their view, nor he believed in the view of the British people, he a very heroic course. They had a responsibility to their fellow-members of the League not only for compliance with the collective decisions but for guidance in reaching them.

ANGRY SCENES. GOVERNMENT ASSAILED. Received June 19, 12.25 p.m. LONDON, June 18. Tlie Italian and German. Ambassadors were present in the House of Commons to-day. Mr Eden was frequently interrupted by cries from the Opposition: “Resign!” “Shame!” “Sit Down!” “Sabotage 1” Rt. Hon. A. Greenwood (Lab.) following Mr Eden, said that no more deplorable speech had ever fallen from the lips of a Foreign Minister. There was no word of sympathy for the broken nation, no word of condemnation for the Power that had deliberately organised poison gas. The speech meant truckling to the dictator. Millions would hear it with shame and consternation.

Mr Greenwood compared the member of the Government’s past speech with its present performance and said it had betrayed the election manifesto and committed the biggest act of political treachery in the 'country’s history. He added that unless the House were given an emphatic denial it would have no alternative but to believe that the Government’s policy included limitation of the League’s powers and reversion to regional pacts. Angry scenes were evoked by Mr Greenwood’s denunciation of the Government for “dispensing with the League’s one effective weapon.” The Ministerial benches shouted: Will you go to war? Labour members cried: Order! A Conservative attempted to put a question formally and met with cries of “Sit down 1” Earl Winterton (Con.) sarcastically shouted “Brave Socialists!” Another Conservative told Labour members that “it isn’t you who will do the fighting, but us.” A Labour member retaliated: You’ll get a staff job, I suppose. When the House had quietened down Mr Greenwood said he did not believe that war was the only thing left. Economic and financial sanctions, if properly applied, would bring any nation to its knees.

The Foreign Secretary rehearsed the initiatives the British Government had taken at the successive crises while the dispute had been before the League and declared that it would not he right at this time of perplexity to shirk the duty of giving a lead. “I am quite convinced that, so far from the lead we are going to give being embarrassing to others it will he welcomed in many quarters,” lie said.

PURPOSE NOT REALISED. Turning to file question of what the League should do in the present circumstances, Mr Eden said the fact had got to he faced that the sanctions imposed had not realised the purpose tor which they had been applied. Abyssinia was in Italian military occupation, and so far as he was aware no Abyssinian Government had survived in any part of Abyssinia. It could not lie expected that the continuation of the existing measures of economic pressure would restore the position in Abyssinia.—nothing but military action from outside could possibly do that and so far las he knew no other Government, and certainly not the British Government, was prepared to lake such military action. To main tain the existing sanctions without any clearly defined purpose would only result in the crumbling of the sanctions front so tliat, in a short time, the League would be confronted with a state of affairs even more derogatory to its authority than that which it faced to-day. In these circumstances, “His Majesty’s Government, after mature consideration, and cm advice which I, as Foreign Secretarythought it my duty to give, have conus to the conclusion that there is no longei any utility in continuing these measures ns a means of pressure upon Italy,” Mr Eden declared.

RESPECT FOR PLEDGES

SOUTH AFRICAN VIEW. Received June 19, 8.5 a.m. JOHANNESBURG, June 18. The Daily Mail says that with sanctions will disappear the last vestige of international respect for the pledges freely given. It will bo a consolation 'co recall that South Africa, when national self-respect was renounced, fought to retain her own, regardless of the consequences. “SANCTIONS FAILED.” MR DE VALERA’S COMMENT.

NOTHING TO REGRET.

Though the League had not availed to prevent the successful accomplishment of a violation of the Covenant, the Government did not regret, Mr Eden emphasised, nor did lie believe his fellow League members regretted, having made the attempt. For that they had nothing to apologise for, and nothing to retract, nor was there any question, in the British Government’s view, of the judgment passed by the League last autumn on the act "of aggression being either modified or reversed. (MUTUAL HELP. Before proceeding further to consider- the future action of the League, the Foreign Secretary made an important declaration on mutual assistance among the Co/enant-enforcing States. He recalled the reciprocal assurances exchanged last December under Paragraph 3 of Article 16 of the Covenant between the Governments of certain Mediterranean Powers, including His •Majesty’s Government, and said that in the view of the latter, which view they proposed to state at Geneva as a contribution to confidence, those assurances should not end with the raising of sanctions, if the Assembly decided to raise sanctions, but should continue during the period of uncertainty which must necessarily follow. Mr Eden added that, in the light of the expeiience of recent months, the Government had determined that it was necessary that Britain should maintain permanently in the Mediterranean a defensive position stronger than that which had existed before the dispute between Italy and Ethiopia broke out. FUTURE OF THE LEAGUE.

Received June 19, 9 a.m. DUBLIN, June 18. Mr De Valera declared in the Dail that sanctions had failed and must go, adding that the League no longer commanded the confidence of the people of the world.

EUROPEAN INTEREST. SIGNIFICANT DEBATE. LONDON, June 18. Not since the debate leading to the resignation -of Sir Samuel Hoare has Westminister been the centre of such European attention. It is generally considered abroad that the House of Commons decisions will decide the course of European policy. The Morning Post’s diplomatic correspondent understands that the principal cause of Cabinet’s decision is the increasing truculence of Germany. It is undestood that Sir Robert Vansittart informed the French Ambassador that the possibility of a rapproachcment with Germany is more remote than ever. The Times Berlin correspondent says Germany is watching Westminister with cynical detachment. There is little chance that the Nazi foreign policy will fulfil British hopes. It seems to be tending more in the direction of expansion at the expense of the States of Eastern Europe.

In the middle of his speech, which was subject to some interruption at times from the Opposition benches, the Foreign Secretary discussed the future of the League which, ho said, ueoded to be earnestly and urgently considered by all its members. He must make it plain, he declared, that the Government were determined that the League should go on. The fact that it had tried and failed to arrest aggression was a reason not for regretting the attempt, but for seeking so to organise it that it should have a better chance to succeed hereafter, and with that object the lesson of the last lew months had got to be analysed.

AUSTRALIA’S ATTITUDE. CANBERRA, June 18. The Prime Minister (Mr J. A. Lyon) announced to-night that instructions had been sent to Mr Bruce to declare in favour of an abandonment of sanctions when the League meets on Juno 30.