LEAGUE’S FUTURE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 2 July 1936, Page 7

LEAGUE’S FUTURE

RULE OF LAW AND RULE OF FORCE NO ABANDONMENT OF OBJECTIVE BRITAIN’S ATTITUDE DEFINED

MR EDEN AT GENEVA (British Official Wireless) (Received 2nd July, 12.0 p.m.) RUGBY, Ist July. The attitude of the British Government towards questions before the League of Nations at Geneva was defined by Mr Anthony Eden (Minister for Foreign Affairs) in the Assembly. No one was present, Mr Eden said, who could contemplate with any measure of satisfaction, the circumstances in which the Assembly met. The occasion was painful to all. It was more necessary, in the interests of every member of the League and of the League as an organisation, that these facts should be squarely faced. CERTAIN MEASURES APPLIED

“So far as the application of sanctions in the Italo-Abyssinian dispute was concerned, 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. Yet we are all conscious that these measures failed to fulfil the purpose for which they were imposed. It is not that the measures in themselves have been without effect, but that the conditions in which they were expected to operate have not been realised.

The course of military events and the local situation in Abyssinia, brought us to a 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 the addition of other economic measures, would re-establish the position in Abyssinia, they would be prepared to advocate such a policy, if other members of the League agreed to join in its application. MILITARY SANCTIONS ALONE EFFECTIVE ‘The British Government finds it is impossible to entertain any such beliefs. In our view, it is only military action that could now produce this result. I cannot believe in the present world conditions that such militaiy action could be considered a .possibility. . , “Realities have to be recognised. Continuance of 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 adopted, they cannot, in our judgment, involve any modification of the view expressed of Italy’s action by 50 members o'f the League last autumn.

THE LEAGUE’S FUTURE “There remains the all important subject of the League’s future. Are we to say that because we failed on this occasion to make the rule of law prevail over the rule of force, that we are therefore finally to abandon this object? Certainly not. With such an objective as this before us, our endeavour must be centred upon the task of reconstruction. It is, however, clear that the lessons of the last few months must be embodied in practice.

“As regards the immediate future of the Assembly’s work, His Majesty's Government is ready to join, at any time, in any work which this Assembly, or any other organisation of the League, decides, shall be undertaken. “It may be that some preliminary exchanges of views on the subject of the League’s future can usefully take place during the present season, but it is essential that all countries should have time and opportunity sufficient tc consider, in detail, the problem that confronts them.

“There must, however, be no avoidable delay, and I suggest, therefore, that the time to get to grips with this problem should be at the Assembly in September.”