LEAGUE DEBATE OPENS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18205, 28 September 1933, Page 8

LEAGUE DEBATE OPENS

PROMINENT SPEAKERS BRITAIN SETS LEAD AN APPEAL FOR AUSTRIA (Eloc. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Received September 28, 2 p.m.) GENEVA, Sept. 27. Tho League of Nations’ Assembly debate was set going to-day by the two biggest draws among the whole delegations, first Sir John Simon, carrying all the prestige of Britain’s leading delegate, and then Austria’s “pocket Chancellor.’' Sir John Simon spoke for half an hour in a quiet expository manner. His speech was closely followed, but was not acclaimed with enthusiasm. All tho same, it must be recognised that it necessarily lacked concrete propositions. On the contrary, Dr. Dollfuss roused warm demonstrations, as eschewing a challenging note to Hitler’s representatives in the front row, he. appealed that little Austria, hemmed in by hostile tariffs, should be allowed to live. He said Austria was determined to maintain an independent existence at all costs, and he appealed to the League to encourage her therein by the exercise of its high moral authority. Dr. Dollfuss spoke in German. The Germans sat motionless throughout-, though they conceded afterwards that Dr. Dollfuss was not as bitter as they had expected.

Sir John Simon said that notwrihstanding many gloomy features, the pastyear undoubtedly had furnished some signs of the beginning of economic re covery, but it could not make much progress without political collaboration. Want of confident* was clogging an improvement. No contribution would bo of such high value its a disarmament agreement. It would he the ground for greater confidence if disarmament could be reached by stages. The first- stage duly completed would represent an immense contribution.

He said they were endeavoring to remove all obstacles to bring a draft convention into a. form most likely to meet the present situation. The work was being pushed on with great earnestness in the belief that the first over-riding purpose must be to agree upon a convention. He deprecated the idea that refuge could he taken in repeated adjournments.