Russia’s Expulsion From League

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 296, 15 December 1939, Page 8

Russia’s Expulsion From League

Recommendation To Go Before the Assembly RESOLUTION BY COMMITTEE By Telegrapli—Press Association—Copyright (Received 14, 12.45 p.m.) LONDON, December 13. Press reports from Geneva state that the Committee of Thirteen appointed by the League of Nations Assembly to discuss the Finnish appeal against the Soviet invasion has adopted a report and resolution recommending the expulsion of Russia from the League and assistance for Finland. The committee's decision will have to be placed before the Assembly. * The committee which passed the resolution appointed a subcommittee consisting of Bolivia, France, Portugal, England and Sweden to complete a draft report for the Assembly. This subcommittee unanimously adopted a draft resolution implying but not specifically demanding Russia’s expulsion. Drawn up by the sub-committee after a long debate, the following recommendation was later adopted by the Russo-Finnish Committee for submission to the Assembly to-morrow: — C “First, the Assembly finds that the Soviet, by its act of aggression against Finland, failed in its special political agreement with Finland, and violated the Pact of Paris and also Article 12 of the League Covenant. The Soviet also denounced without justification the 1932 non-aggression treaty with Finland. The Assembly therefore condemns the Soviet action against Finland and addresses a pressing appeal to every member to furnish Finland with all possible material and humanitarian assistance and to abstain from all action that might weaken Finland’s powers of resistance, and authorises the Secretary-General to lend the League’s technical services for Finland’s assistance. It also authorises the SecretaryGeneral to consult non-member States with a view to future eventual collaboration. “Secondly, by refusing to attend the League’s deliberations, the Soviet failed in one of its most essential responsibilities under the League for the guarantee of the peace and security of nations. The Soviet acted as though the Council and Assembly did not exist as far as the Soviet was concerned. By attempting to justify its refusal by alleging that the League had established relations with a fictitious Government,. the Soviet was not only guilty of violating one of its responsibilities under the Covenant, but placed itself outside the Covenant.’’ 1 Senor Freyrc told the Assembly to-day that, unless Russia were ejected, the Argentine would resign from the League. Demanding the application of paragraph four of Article 10 of the Covenant —expulsion—he declared: “The question is whether we should continue to allow the perpetrator of this act of aggression to sit among us. My Government considers that this 'is impossible. “This is not the first member State unjustifiably attacked,’ he said, “but the case is attended by such circumstances as to compel my Government to pass most severe judgment. The aggressor has denied that she is at war, disdaining even an outward form of legality and therefore placing herself outside the Covenant. “We need no longer be restrained by a desire to act cautiously and to weigh our responsibilities with the object of preserving peace. 5Ve are confronted by a state of war.”

Senor Freyre added that the League' faced a decision concerning its life or death. The League had lost its coercive force, but was still capable of a gesture against nations which resorted to force which it could not refuse to make unless it was prepared to resign its functions in a spirit of suicidal defeat. Russia’s invasion, he declared, conatituted an insult to every member of the League. Because of the League's recent weakness, there had grown up a tacit agreement to refrain from entrusting it with Important political activity. Not even Poland's agony had ruffled the League, although it was the origin of the conflagration. "It we wish to spare the world from the abyss which is opening before it, if we desire the rebirth of international law, it behoves us to discard material considerations and to rally moral forces which have fallen into oblivion." said Senor Freyre. Agentinc's proposal was referred to the Russian-Finnish Committee (the Committee of Thirteen), without debate. Finland, South Africa and Bolivia were elected to the Council.