PLAIN SPEAKING

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19134, 1 October 1936, Page 15

PLAIN SPEAKING

FAULTS OF THE LEAGUE

MR. JORDAN AT GENEVA

SANCTIONS PROCEDURE

VACILLATION OF STATUS

(Klee. Tel. CopyrigtH—United Press Assn.) (Reed. Sept, 50. 5 p.m.) I.ONDON, Sent. 29.

The special Geneva correspondent of Associated i’ress says that the League Assembly heard trom the New Zealand delegate* Mr. \Y. .1. Jordan, some plain speaking, to which it was unaccustomed even from the Soviet representative, M. Litvinov.

Although new to Geneva* Mr. 'lordan fins demonstrated to both the Council and the Assembly that he is a lorce to be reckoned with. The British delegates moved restlessly in their seats as ho raised one issue after another which Britain would prefer to regard as closed. Unlike the representatives of Canada and Australia, he declined to accept the British viewpoint concerning regional pacts, but indicated that while New Zealand feared they were likely to develop into the old system of alliances, the Dominion was prepared lo collaborate in a collective system in which the members agreed to the immediate application of full economic sanctions, hut to restrict engagements to use force to defined areas. ISSUE JOINED Mr. Jordan joined issue with the Australian delegate, Mr. S. M. Bruce, who deprecated automatic sanctions, Mr. Jordan insisting that sanctions would be ineffective in Die future as in the past unless they were immediate and automatic. He added Hint unless collective security were made effective, it was a waste of time coming to Geneva. The League lapsed join futility, however, as the result ot the vacillation of Governments, not as the result of indecision on ilie part of their respective peoples. New Zealand was prepared to take a full share in complete economic sanctions, and to join with other members of the League in the collective application of force against a, future aggressor, and would agree to the establishment of an international force.

Mr. Jordan proceeded to condemn the League's record in the Abyssinian dispute, but insisted that it was not the covenant that was nt fault. New Zealand suggested that Die Governments should hold plebiscites to ascertain whether their peoples were willing to support Die .League. New Zealand’s experience in broadcasting Parliamentary debates suggested that the League might usefully broadcast its proceedings and thus become a living reality.