RECOMMEND SOVIET EXPULSION

Northern Advocate, 14 December 1939, Page 7

RECOMMEND SOVIET EXPULSION

League Committee’s Resolution Argentine’s _ Threat To Resign

(Received 1 p.m.)

GENEVA, December 13

THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE OF THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS, WHICH HAS BEEN CONSIDERING FINLAND’S APPEAL AGAINST RUSSIA, HAS ADOPTED A RESOLUTION RECOM. MENDING RUSSIA’S EXPULSION FROM THE LEAGUE.

The committee .has also recommended that the powers assist

Finland

The special committee appointed a sub-committee, consisting of Bolivia, Franco, Portugal. Britain and Sweden, to complete a ■.draft report for the Assembly,

This sub-committee unanimously adopted the draft resolution, implying, but not specifically demanding, Russia's expulsion.

The resolution was. later placed before the League Assembly. The-reply of the Soviet Premier and Foreign Minister (M. M'olotoff), to the League of Nations, states: “The Soviet Government thanks you, Mr. President, for the hind invitation to take part in discussions of the Finnish question. ; --- “(At the same time, the Soviet Government informs you that -the Soviet is not in a. position to accept this invitation, for the , reasons given in the telegram of December 4 from the,Commissariat o of ‘F'oreign . Affairs, ‘sent in reply to a communication from the '‘^Becretary-General. ’’

iln ;the telegram referred to, M. j Molotoff, said the Soviet.was - not in a state'of war with Finland, and therefore .the-Convocation of .the Leagite Council on Finland’s appeal was not justified.

Argentine’s Demand. The Argentine delegate (M. Freyre) "told the Assembly that unless Russia was ejected the Argentina would re- : sign from the League. /.I ; ,He demanded the application of the --clause in Article 16 of the Covenant, yvhich states: “Any member, of the League which has any covenant of the v. League may be declared to be no - longer a member.” He declared; “The question is "" " whether' we shall continue to allow the perpetrator of this act of aggression to sit among us. My Government considers this is impossible. This is not the first case in which a ' member State has been unjustifiably ’ attacked, but this case is atended by such circumstances as compel my Gov- ' ernmenf to pass the severest judgment.

“By attempting to justify its re-, fusal 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 had placed itself outside the Covenant.” Will Soviet Resign? The Moscow correspondent of the “New York Times” (Mr G. E. -R. Gedye) says: - _ ' “Opinion in diplomatic circles in Moscow is evenly divided on the question whether the Soviet rulers will satisfy their over-sensitive feelings over questions of prestige by resigning from the League, and thereby further compromising liberty of .action in respect of Germany, as Germany clearly hopes, or whether they will pocket their prestige for the sake of the practical advantages inherent in remaining in the League.

Outside Covenant.

“It is thought resignation would bring nearer the formation of an anti-Soviet world bloc, which is a nightmare that is always haunting the Soviet. “Thus some feel that Russia will submit to a rebuke, and even see practical opposition, to her Finnish .adventure, in order to retain her membership.”

; ' “The aggressor has denied that she is at war, disdaining even the outward form of legality, and is therefore placing herself outside the Covenant. We need be no longer restrained by a desire to act cautiously and weigh our responsibilities with the object of preserving peace. “We are confronted by a state of war.” . _ l*he League was faced with a decisioir affecting its life or death, dec:; Glared M. Freyre, the Argentine delegate. Insult to Every Member. The League had lost its coercive force, added M. Freyre, but it was still capable of a gesture against those who -resorted to force, which it could not ‘ refuse to make, unless it was prepared to resign its functions m a spirit of .. suicidal defeat. .Russia’s invasion, he declared, constituted an insult to every member of the League. Because of the League’s recent weakness there had grown up a tacit : agreement to rdfrain from entrusting it with any important political activ Ity*' . .. ; Must Rally Moral Forces. Not even Poland’s agony had ruffled the League, although it was the origin of the conflagration, “If we wish to spare the world from the abyss opening before it, if the re- , birth of international law is desired,” . he said, “it behoves us to discard material considerations and rally the moral forces which have' fallen into . oblivon,” Argentina’s proposal was referred without debate to the special com- : mittee set up to consider Finland’s appeal. • ; Finland, South Africa and Bolivia s were elected to the Council.

Motion for Assembly.

Drawn up by the sub-committee pfter a long debate, the following recommendation has been adopted by the Russo-Finnish Committee for submission to the League Assembly tomorrow:^-

“(1) The Assembly finds that the Soviet, by its act of aggression against Finland, failed in its special political agreement with Finland, violated the Pact of Paris, and also violated Article 12 of the League Covenant. The Soviet also denounced without justification the 1932 non-aggres-sion treaty. “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. “It also authorises the SecretaryGeneral to lend to the League’s technical services for Finland’s assistance, and authorises the Secretary-General to consult non-member States with a view to future eventual collaboration. “Outside Covenant.” “C2) f > 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 peace and security of nations. The Soviet has acted as though the Council and the Assembly did not exist as far as Russia was concerned.