LEAGUE SESSION

Southland Times, Issue 21823, 28 September 1932, Page 7

LEAGUE SESSION

OPENING OF ASSEMBLY WORLD FACING TESTING TIMES MR DE VALERA’S SPEECH (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) Geneva, September 26. “People are complaining that the League is over active in secondary matters, but shelves) postpones, and ignores problems touching on the people’s Very existence. We' are facing testing times,” said Mr de Valera, in opening the League of Nations Assembly. He added that much of the criticism was Unjustified, and uninformed, and not wholly disinterested, but the League would undoubtedly be judged by the results of the Disarmament Conference in which the progress was far short of the world’s desires. The larger problems in the Far East were unsolved, and all hoped the Lytton report would conduce to a just settlement. There was world-wide evidence of an impending economic collapse, and 100,600,000 people were fa’ced With starvation in a World of plenty. “The nations must face a desperate situation frankly and honestly,” he declared. “Blue books and complacent resolutions cannot satisfy the general demand for action. We are defendants at the bar of public opinion with the burden of justification almost overwhelming.” Turning to Ireland he said: “We want you to believe that We in Ireland desire peace at home and throughout the world. In spite of misleading reports we have consistently sought to lead ouf own lives in our own way, contributing to the world the best that is in us, and pursuing a policy to secure a proper adjustment of our own sound economic life.” Mr de Valera finally lapsed into Gaelic With an invocation for divine blessing on. their labours. Mr de Valera’s speech ended in Stony silence, and he is the most discUSsed man at Geneva. Sir Thomas Wilford represents New Zealand on all the committees. Plenary Meetings Curtailed. The special Geneva correspondent of the Australian Press Association states that recognizing the urgent need for reducing preliminaries the Assembly decided to curtail plenary meetings as much as possible in order to allow committees to commence work tomorrow morning. The Assembly meets in the afternoon. Mr W. M. Hughes (Australia) will be delivering his first speech which was partially prepared in consultation with Mr S. M.- Bruce. Thus, while Mr Hughes makes his first bow on the Geneva stage as the temporary mouthpiece of the Australian Government, the individuality of his style may be cramped by responsibility, reducing the opportunity of ventilating strong views on the conduct of the League of which Mr Hughes personally makes no secret. The Australian and New Zealand delegates to-night attended a meeting of Empire representatives under the chairmanship of Sir John Simon and informally discussed the Assembly programme, but it is understood that no attempt has yet been made to secure a united front on vital questions facing the League, namely, the SinoJapariese conflict, disarmament, the German position, and the League budget. M. Politis has been elected president of the Assembly. OBLIGATIONS MET NEW ZEALAND’S CONTRIBUTION. (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, September 27. The Prime Minister (the Hon. G. W. Forbes) stated to-day with reference to the. cable regarding the League of Nations’ payments: “The position is that recently we have changed our method of paying contributions. Instead of making one l.Umn sum payment at the beginning of the year payments are now made quarterly. Under this agreement a certain portion of the contribution for the present year is naturally still unpaid, but the contribution from New Zealand will, of course, be received by the League before the conclusion of the year and if is quite absurd to suggest either that New Zealand is in arrears or that the prospects of obtaining the full contribution from the Dominion are bad or doubtful.”

The cable referred to stated that France, Italy, Japan, and the South American republics, New Zealand and Australia were all in arrears in their subscriptions due to the League.