DOMINIONS’ VOICE

Taranaki Daily News, 12 April 1935, Page 5

DOMINIONS’ VOICE

ACTIVITIES OF LEAGUE

REGULAR CONSULTATION

QUESTION IN COMMONS

REPLY FROM MR. THOMAS

British Wireless. Rugby, April 10. Mr. J. H. Thomas, Dominions Secretary, was asked in the House of Commons to-day whether any of the Dominions had at any time been consulted regarding the French proposal of March, 1933, for an international aerial police force for the purpose of preventing misuse of civil aircraft.

Mr. Thomas said that throughout the Disarmament Conference there had been constant consultations with representatives of the Dominions on all aspects of the problem involved. So far as he was aware no Dominion Government had made any official pronouncement on this particular proposal, but there had been published from time to time statements of the Dominions’ representatives indicating dissent from the conception of the League of Nations as an organisation with an armed force of its own. Answering a supplementary question Mr. Thomas cited as a pronouncement of one of the Dominion representatives the speech of General Smuts (South Africa) in which he said: “If an attempt were made now to transform into a military machine the League of Nations to carry on a war for preventing or ending war I think its fate is sealed. I cannot conceive the Dominions remaining in such a League for which it has to fight the wars of the Old World, and if the Dominions leave it Great Britain is bound to follow.” Mr. G. le D. Mander asked whether in view of the gravity of the international situation the Government would consider the advisability of inviting the leaders of the Opposition to confer with the Government to see how far they could secure united support for a foreign policy based on collective action for the limitation of arms through the League of Nations. Mr. Thomas replied that the suggestion would be borne in mind.

CHANGE IN SITUATION

ADAPTING AGREEMENTS

PARITY DEMAND PROBLEM

By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright Rec. 8 p.m. Rome, April 11.

The Fascist Press is unanimous that the Stresa conference will commence inquiring whether the Rome and London agreements can be adapted to meet the changed situation. The delegates will then be called on to deal with the problem created by the demands for military parity put forward by Austria, Hungary and Bulgaria.