FAILURE OF SANCTIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22905, 12 June 1936, Page 9

FAILURE OF SANCTIONS

MR CHAMBERLAIN'S VIEWS THE POLICY CONDEMNED /LONDON, June 11. (Received June 11, at 8 p.m.) Condemning the policy of continuing sanctions, Mr Neville Chamberlain, speaking at a political dinner, declared that it would only lead to further misfortunes. Referring to Lord Robert Cecil's-claim that it was still possible to preserve Abyssinia's independence by pursuing sanctions, Mr Chamberlain said: "That seems to me the very midsummer of madness. It is no use shutting our eyes to realities. Sanctions have been tried and failed. I am not blaming anyone for failtire, but merely record it now because if we have retained any vestige of common sense we must admit we tried to impose upon the League a task beyond its powers. . The nations composing the League must therefore decide so to limit the League's functions in future that they may be in accord with its real powers. If that policy were courageously carried through I believe it might go far to restore the League's prestige, although it must be admitted that the League is so limited that it could not longer be relied upon by itself to secure peace for the world. It is now apparent that the policy of sanctions involves, if not war, at least the risk of war, and that risk must increase in propotion to the effectiveness of sanctions. It is also apparent that in. the presence of such risk nations cannot be relied on to proceed to the extremity of war unless their vital interests are threatened." Mr Chamberlain suggested the exploration of the possibility of localising the world's danger spots with a view to a more practical method of ensuring peace by regional arrangements approved by the League. '

GREAT INTEREST IN SPEECH LONDON. June 11. (Received June 11, at 11.15 p.m.) The newspapers give great prominence to Mr Chamberlain's "end of sanctions" speech and ask whether he was speaking for himself or the Cabinet. The speech was delivered at the 1000 Club's dinner, at which Mr Chamberlain was the guest of honour. Four hundred Conservatives attended, and the Marquess' of Londonderry presided.