The Wanganui Chronicle FRIDAY, MAY 8, 1936. HAS THE LEAGUE FAILED?

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 108, 8 May 1936, Page 6

The Wanganui Chronicle FRIDAY, MAY 8, 1936. HAS THE LEAGUE FAILED?

'pHE leading personalities on die European stage who stood for the principle of corporate security among the nations, must recognise that the principle for which they stood has not been implemented. For this no blame attaches to the, principle itself: that must be borne lay those who failed to apply if. Nobody would declare that an axe failed to fell a tree if uo woodsman swung the axe. The .League of Nations is but an instrument. The nations failed in its use. When failure is admitted, however, it does not imply that a ease has been made out for the dissolution of the League. Not at all! What lias been made clear is the difficulties which can and do arise when action by the League becomes necessary. There have been two major instances where League action has been called for. and while it must be confessed that in each instance ‘’the League has failed.” yet the differences in the eonof the League in the first ease, that of the Japanese occupation of Manchuria, and in the second ease, that of the Italian occupation of Abyssinia, are so marked that they merit remark. In the first instance a League memorandum was published condemning Japan's action. There the effort stopped. In the. second in- ; stance the League organised sanctions which, resulted in. the : trade of the aggressor being cut io lint a portion 01. its normal : (iiiantity. The economic arm, absent in the first ease, was present in tin' sceoml. and actively used. Such results should mo ! fi>. i-'i.ii'wd bv ei itics of the League of Nations.