BEDROOM TALKS

Taranaki Daily News, 14 September 1934, Page 5

BEDROOM TALKS

CRITICISM OF THE LEAGUE MR. DE VALERA’S SENSATION THE ADMISSION OF RUSSIA TORTUOUS NEGOTIATIONS” FURTHER PROGRESS MADE By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. London, Sept. 12. Mr. E. de Valera, President of the Council of the Irish Free State, caused a sensation in the Assembly of the League of Nations at Geneva on the vital .question of Russia’s admission, saying it should be discussed in public instead of in hotel bedrooms. He favoured entry in the ordinary manner with special privileges. Russia should guarantee universal religious liberty and extend, the world-wide rights granted to American citizens.

Mr. de Valera referred to intrigues and hotel conversations, and suggested that only the possessors of exceptional sources of information could keep abreast of the • goings-on. He admitted that private negotiations were necessary, though prolongation might defeat the project. The simplest way was to secure the Assembly’s vote and, if there was opposition, refer to an appropriate committee. He objected to attempts to deprive the delegates of their rights in the Assembly.

According to The Times there is considerable sympathy with Mr. de Valera’s belief that proceedings have developed into a situation hardly in keeping with the dignity of the League. The tortuous process in connection with Russia’s admission was not necessary, for Mexico and Turkey created a very bad impression, weakening the League’s prestige. Further progress wa; made at Geneva yesterday in the preliminary negotiations for the entry of the Soviet Government into the League of Nations, states a British Official Wireless message. The newspapers state that the terms of the letter to be sent to the Soviet Government have now been drafted and the French delegation, which has undertaken the collection of signatures to be attached to the letter, is in a position to inform the Soviet that if it agrees its election by the necessary two-thirds majority of the Assembly and permanent Powers on the council is assured. M. Litvinoff, Soviet .Foreign Minister, objected to the modified text of the proposed invitation. “The Soviet does not want to be treated differently from Turkey or Mexico, who were invited unanimously,” he said. COLD VATICAN RECEPTION GODLESSNES& OF RUSSIA Rec. 9 p.m. Vatican City, Sept. 13. The impending admission of Russia to the League of Nations has been received by the Holy See, which has always insisted that Russia should not be admitted till the Soviet granted the citizens freedom of worship. The Catholic paper Avvenire d’ltalia says: “Geneva is paying for a fundamental error. Its conception was based on the fragile foundation of a godless humanitarianism. It has come to the point of admitting the Soviet, which is a brutal negation of all forms of human civilisation.”