EXPELLED FROM LEAGUE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVII, Issue 21529, 16 December 1939, Page 9

EXPELLED FROM LEAGUE

ACTION AGAINST RUSSIA “ Monster Feeding On Liberty ” United Press Association—By Electric lelegraph—Copyright (Rec. Dec. 15, 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 14. The League Council has confirmed the resolution of the Special Committee on Finlahd calling for the expulsion of Russia from the League. Russia, therefore, has now been expelled from the League. Speakers in the debate included the British Under-Secretary of Foreign Affairs (Mr R. A. Butler), who gave the full support of the United Kingdom delegation to the report and the resolution. The Assembly unanimously passed the resolution condemning Russia as the aggressor and asking members to aid Finland. The Scandinavian States, Baltic States, China, Mexico, Bulgaria and Switzerland abstained from voting. Mr R. A. Butler said that Britain was already taking steps to enable Finland to obtain war materials. The Assembly can rest assured that despite the heavy burden the Empire and France were carrying in p. major struggle for right and law. Britain would not excuse herself from giving all possible assistance to Finland. M. Deribes said that France fully supported the proposal to aid Finland by all her means. For the Portuguese, M. Dematta said that the aggression against Finland was the supreme crime, and not only Finland was endangered. The Mexican, Senor Manuel Telle, objected to the procedure, but promised to abstain rather than block expulsion. The Indian. Sir Muhammad Khan, was loudly applauded when he declared that Russian aggression “is a monster feeding on liberty. We must fight this monster together before it brings barbarism and chaos to the whole world.” Mr William Pappard. for Switzerland. said that the Swiss were abstaining for the sole reason that the country did not wish to affect her special neutrality with the League. Dr Holsti expressed Finland’s profound gratitude. Committees Recommendations Drawn up after a long debate by a sub-committee consisting of representatives of Bolivia, France, Portugal, Britain and Sweden, the following recommendation w r as adopted by the Russian-Finnish Committee for submission to the Assembly of the League of Nations:— “The Assembly finds that the Soviet by its act of aggression against Finland failed in its special political agreement with Finland, and violated the Pact of Paris and also Article XII of the League Covenant. “The Soviet also denounced without justification the 1932 Non-Aggression Treaty. “The Assembly therefore condemns the Soviet action against Finland and addresses a pressing appeal to every member to furnish Finland with all possible material and humanitarian assistance, and to abstain from all action that might weaken Finland’s powers of resistance. “It authorises the Secretary-General (M. Avenol) to lend the League's technical services for Finland’s assistance, and authorises the Secretary-General to consult non-member States with a view to future eventual collaboration.”