BRITAIN’S VIEWS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 181, 2 July 1936, Page 7

BRITAIN’S VIEWS

ON LEAGUE ISSUES

AVAR NOT WANTED

Mil EDEN’S ANALYSIS

(United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) (British Official Wireless.) Received July 2, 11.15 a.m. RUGBY, July 2.

The attitude of the British Government towards the questions before the League of Nations at Geneva was defined by the Foreign Secretary (Mr R. A. Eden) in the League Assembly. No one present, lie said, could contemplate with anv measure of satisfaction tho circumstances in which tlie Assembly met-. The occasion was painful to all and it was the more necessary in the interests of every member of the League, and of the League as an organisation, that these facts should be 6quarely faced. “So far as tile application of sanctions in the Italo-Abyssinian dispute is concerned, the members of the League have in common applied certain economic and financial measures which they were in a position to impose, and which they thought could be made effective by their own acts alone. Aet we are all conscious that these measures have failed to fulfil the purpose for which they were imposed. It is not that tho measures in themselves have been without effect, but that the conditions in which they have been expected to operate have not been realised,” said Mr Eden. “The course of military events and the local situation in Abyssinia brought us to the point at which the sanctions in force were incapable of reversing the order of events in that country. Had the British Government any reason to believe that the maintenance of the existing sanctions, or even tho addition of otlier economic measures, would reestablish the position of Abyssinia they would be prepared to advocate such a policy if the other members of the League agreed to join in its_ application,” he continued. “The British Government find it impossible to entertain any such beliefs. In our view it is only military action that could now produce this result. “I cannot believe that, in present world conditions, such military action could he considered a possibility. Realities have to be recognised. “The continuance of the sanctions at present in force can serve no useful purpose. At the same time, it is the view of the British Government that this Assembly should not in any case recognise Italy’s conquest over Abyssinia. Moreover, if the harsh realities of the situation must influence our attitude towards the measures we have adopted they cannot, in our judgment, involve, any modification of the view expressed of Italy s action by the members of the League last autumn,” Mr Eden said. FUTURE OF LEAGUE.

“There remains the all-important subject of the League's future. Are we to say, because wo have failed on this occasion to make the rule of law prevail over the rule of force, that we have, therefore, finally to abandon this object? Certainly not! With such an objective as this before us. our endeavour must be centred, upon tho task ot reconstruction. It is, however, clear that the lessons of the last tew months must bo embodied in practice. As regards the immediate future of the Assembly’s work, His Majesty’s Government are ready to join at any time in any work which this Assembly, or anj other organisation of the League, decides shall be undertaken. It may l>e that some preliminary exchanges ot view on the subject ot the League s future can usefully take, place dining tlie present session, but it is essential that all countries should have time and opportunity sufficient to consider in detail the problem that confronts them. There must, however, l.e no avoidable delav, and I suggest, therefore, that the time to get to grips with this problem should be at the Assembly in September,” Mr Eden concluded. The Argentine delegate vigorously protested against the* recognition oi territorial changes resulting from force. He said that such changes were not recognised l>y America. B the principle were not observed Argentine would be obliged to reconsider her collaboration with the League.