“A HORRIBLE EVIL”

Taranaki Daily News, 19 December 1930, Page 3

“A HORRIBLE EVIL”

’ SLAVERY DECRIED. LORD CECIL’S VIEWS. The good results of the League of Nations humanitarian work, especially respecting its care of refugees, were balanced against the alleged failure to cope with the evil of slavery in a succession of reports to the Assembly, writes Erwin £>. Canliam in the “Christian Science Monitor.” , In what was regarded as one of the most frankly disappointing speeches to which the Assembly ever listened, Viscount Cecil, Great Britain, declared that there are at least 5,000,000 slaves still in the World, and that the League’s long struggle against this evil resulted last year in absolutely no progress whatever., . 4 . / Lord Cecil’s, remarks arose from a report of the sixth committee, which found itself unable to accept the British proposal for a permanent slavery commission. Lord Cecil said that the present Assembly’s conclusions on slavery were sqd. It was merely proposed to do nothing for another year, although the previous year’s results had been absolutely nil x The League merely waits, he said, for governments to send information regarding slavery in their countries, and those which still have slaves are not' so self-denying as to inform the League. Other States which know the truth about their neighbours cannot tell tales. The British delegation proposed the formation of an international authority specially charged with supervision and investigation and report upon all phases of the existence of slavery and slavetrading in all' parts of the world. The British delegation, said _Lol'd Cecil, was most conciliatory and. 'willing to adopt any .machinery to achieve the desired end, but the other members were unwilling to approve any machinery whatever; Opponents -of the British idea in committee were Abyssinia, Belgium, France, Italy, Liberia, the Netherlands, and Portugal, Spain, Siam and India supported two alternative British plans, but the remainder of the committee were still opposed. Lord Cecil declared that the unwillingness of the League members to adopt machinery constituted a result which would be received with profound disappointment by many thousands of people throughout the world.

“Let us not deceive ourselves,” said Lord Cecil, “slavery is a horrible evil. It is often said that slaves are happier as .'slaves than if free. We delegates would not say this, if' we were in the position of the slaves. The allegation always has been untrue. The ownership of slaves involves the utterly bestial institution of slave-trading. I hope public opinion takes notice of what the League has done to-day and makes sure that there is no postponement next year.”