SANCTIONS ISSUE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 18 June 1936, Page 7

SANCTIONS ISSUE

SOUTH AFRICA’S ATTITUDE WILL STAND BY OBLIGATIONS “NO RIGHT TO BE UNFAITHFUL TO LEAGUE” PLAIN WORDS BY GENERAL HERTZOG (United Press Association— By Electric , Telegraph—Copyright) CAPETOWN, 17th June. General J. B. M. Hertzog, Prime Minister, in a speech in the Assembly, reaffirmed the Union’s adherence to sanctions. “We have no right to be unfaithful to the League merely because others are not going to be true to it,” he said. “If others are not prepared to face the possible outcome of continuing sanctions, that does not affect South Africa, which ’intends to support the League to the last. If the League collapses, South Africa will at least have the satisfaction of knowing she was not among the countries running away from their duty to the League. It is the duty of all League members to meet their obligations and show that they are prepared to do so, no matter what the cost may be. There should be no retreat, even if Italy declares war. If the League fails it will be for the sole reason that the nations which should have fulfilled

their obligations had not the moral courage to make the necessary sacrifices. If the League fails, as it must if sanctions are abandoned, nothing will prevent another world war within twenty years.” CONDITION BY BRITAIN NO DISCRIMINATION BY ITALY AGAINST SANCTIONIST COUNTRIES LONDON, 17th June. “The Times” political correspondent says it is expected that Cabinet will make a withdrawal of sanctions conditionally that there is no discrimination by Italy against trade with sanctionist countries. The “Daily Mail’s” Rome correspondent says that the British Cabinet’s reported intention to abolish sanctions was received with satisfaction, but no surprise, for it was considered inevitable since the Hon. Neville Chamberlain’s speech. “The Times’ ” Rome correspondent says it may be noted that nothing is said about Italy’s removal of her own counter-sanctions. It is less than a month ago that the directorate of the Fascist Party declared for permanent and irrevocable exclusion of the products of sanctionist countries. In the meantime it is admitted that Italy is conducting commercial negotiations with a number of countries, including Germany. Italy is obviously seeking to bend sanctionist countries by dangling before 'their’eyes the rewards she is ; preparing to bestow upon non-sanctionist countries.

MR ANTHONY EDEN NO INTENTION TO RESIGN FAILURE OF SANCTIONS ADMITTED (Received 18th June, 12.25 p.m.) LONDON, 17th June. The “Daily Mail’s” political correspondent says that Mr Anthony Eden Foreign Secretary, before Cabinet, told Mr Stanley Baldwin, Prime Minister, he did not intend to resign. Mr Eden read to Cabinet the statement which he is making to-morrow which is on the lines of Mr Neville Chamberlain’s speech on 10th June. He admits the failure of sanctions! to end war and for that reason there is no wisdom in continuing them. Cabinet made several alterations to the manuscript.

HOUSE OF COMMONS DEBATE GREAT INTEREST AROUSED fßritish Official Wireless) (Received 18th June, 1.37 p.m.) RUGBY, 17th June. Great interest has been aroused both at home and abroad in the House of Commons debate on foreign affairs. Mr Eden’s speech will not be confined exclusively to sanctions questions, and' it is expected he will refer also to the delay of the German Government in replying to the recent British questionnaire. About three and a half hours will be devoted to the debate, but further opportunity of discussing the international situation will arise next week and several prominent members of Parliament will reserve their speeches for that occasion.

RECOGNITION OF ERROR RAISING OF SANCTIONS OFFICIAL ITALIAN STATEMENT (Received 18th June, 11.20 a.m.) LONDON, 17th June. “The Times” Rome correspondent says it is authoritatively declared that Italy will regard the raising of sanctions as sufficient to enable her to resume European collaboration and it would be considered proof of recognition that an error had been committed. This statement was made on the score of alleged erroneous interpretations of Italy’s attitude by correspondents. It is impossible to obtain a definite assurance that the lifting of sanctions would be followed by the

immediate lifting of Italian countersanctions. On the contrary, though it is admitted that the raising of sanctions by the Powers would introduce a new spirit into the situation, it was made clear that Italy intends to pursue the policy of economic selfsufficiency on which she has embarked.

MAINTENANCE FAVOURED LABOUR MEMBERS AND PUBLICISTS (Received 18th June, 11.20 a.m.) LONDON, 17th June. Cabinet, as expected, decided on its sanctions policy. Political writers agree that Mr Eden to-morrow will announce that the Government favours discontinuance as early as possible. A meeting of members of the House of Commons. and others held in the Commons, including Labour members and publicists, passed a resolution in favour of the maintenance of sanctions until Italy is ready to agree to a settlement of the Abyssinian question acceptable to the League and in conformity with the Covenant.

SWITZERLAND IN FAVOUR

BERNE, 17th June. Mr M. G. Motta, in the Upper House, stated that the Government was of the opinion that sanctions should be raised. INDEPENDENCE OF ETHIOPIA EFFECTIVE ACTION URGED VIEWS OF GOVERNMENT SET OUT (Received 18th June, 12.20 p.m.) LONDON, 17th June. In a letter to “The Times” Dr. Ajar Martin, Abyssinian Minister at London, sets out the views of the Abyssinian Government. It will request the League that at least a majority of the members should, in accordance with the obligations of the Covenant, take strong and effective action collectively to support the independence of Ethiopia, and should refuse recognition of Italian annexation by aggression; but if the League does not find itself strong enough to make the aggressor evacuate Ethiopia, the next best thing is to give the Ethiopian Government a loan sufficient to enable Abyssinia to fight its own battle against the aggressor. This will confine the trouble to the two parties. If neither of these solutions is acceptable and the extinction of Ethiopia is allowed, “all I can say is that the prestige of the present members of the League of Nations will also go down in history to the lowest level.”

NEW ZEALAND’S ATTITUDE NO DEFINITE STATEMENT YET AWAITING REPLY FROM BRITAIN (By Telegraph—Press Association) WELLINGTON, This Day. “The Government is not yet in a position to make a definite statement as to its policy respecting the lifting of sanctions against Italy,” said the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, Prime Minister, when his attention was drawn to a London message suggesting that all the Dominions except South Africa favoured the dropping of sanctions. “We are in daily communication with the British Government on the question,” said Mr Savage, “and the whole matter is receiving close and serious attention. However I am not in a position yet to make a statement on our attitude and nothing can be said until we have received a reply from the British authorities to our latest communication.”