MANDATE OVER TANGIER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19418, 28 August 1926, Page 11

MANDATE OVER TANGIER.

A TRIPLE OBJECTIVE. SPAIN STATES HER CASE. CIVILISING MISSION. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received 10.35 p.m.) Renter. MADRID, Aug. 26. The attitudi of Spain concerning Tangier is officially stated to embrace three aspects—territorial, maritime and local. They are as follow:—(1). Spain could not complete t.he civilising mission of an international character which she has begun in North Africa while Tangier remains a refuge for rebels and an open door for contraband of war. (2). It is to the collective interest of all the Powers to ensure the neutrality of the Straits of Gibraltar. (o). The international regime in Tangier has been demonstrated as lacking in durability. The statement draws attention to tho natural connection between the Tangier problem and Spain's position at Geneva. It urges the nations concerned to examine the situation.

CLAIM FOE,WARDED. REPRESENTATION ON LEAGUE SPECULATION AS TO RESULT. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Reed. 8.5 p.m.) LONDON. Aug. 27. Spain's Note concerning Tangier has now been presented to the British and French Governments as well as to the Italian Government. It is believed that the replies of Britain and Franco will be in two separate parts, as both are agreed that Tangier cannot be linked up with Spain's claim to a permanent seat on the Council of the League of Nations. Stress is being laid on the fact that to grant a mandate over Tangier would be entirely beyond the prerogative of the League. The Daily Telegraph points out that .Article 22 of the Covenant of the League limits the mandatory system to the colonics or territories of ex-enemy Powers and cannot be interpreted as connoting interference by tho League in any State which has never been withdrawn from the operation of legitimate and unchallenged sovereignty —in this case, that of tho Sultan of Morocco. The Telegraph says the plain and specific purpose of the mandate system is to provide civilised administration for territories in which this does not exist. That is certainly not the position in Tangier, whatever may be the shortcomings of the international regime there. According to the diplomatic correspondent of the Evening Standard the British Foreign Office at first viewed Spain's claim favourably, but the Admiralty emphatically pointed out that Tangier is just as vital to the Mediterranean as Gibraltar, and that submarines had changed tho whole strategic position. Consequently, Sir Austen Chamberlain, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, will go to Geneva with a benevolent view of any arrangement between Italy, France and Spain that will not weaken Britain's strategic position. A message from Berlin says the organ of Herr Stresemann, Foreign Minister, expresses the opinion that Spain's claim will facilitate matters at Geneva rather than otherwise, for it is apparent that Spain attaches more importance to Tangier than to gaining a permanent seat in the Council of the League.

GERMANY AID LEAGUE. PROBLEM OF ADMITTANCE. STRESEMANN OPTIMISTIC. (Received 10.35 p.m.) Router. BERLIN, Aug. 26. The Foreign Affairs Committee of the Reichstag has received a report from the Foreign Minister, Herr Stresemann, on the foreign political situation. It is learned that the Minister is on the whole confident that the difSculties concerning Germany's entry to the League of Nations will eventually be removed. He does not expect serious opposition by Spain. He considers she is fully occupied with the Tangier problem, in which Germany is not interested. Herr Stresemann says Viscount Cecil's plan is still being taken as the basis of negotiations. The Committee approved the Government's attitude and finally rejected a Communist motion demanding the withdrawal of Germany's application to enter the League.