LEAGUE OF NATIONS

Wairarapa Daily Times, 26 September 1933, Page 5

LEAGUE OF NATIONS

DISCUSSION OF COSTS. INVITATION TO DOMINIONS. (Received Tuesday, 9.35 a.m.) GENEVA, Monday. Britain lias invited the Dominions’ delegates to a meeting to discuss the League costs, with a view to raising the Budget Commission, and the question of the added costs of subscriptions from countries off the gold standard. OPENING OF ASSEMBLY. (Received Tuesday, 12.25 p.m.) GEN EVA, Monday. The opening of the Assembly was devoid of incident. Germans and Austrians occupy the front row. Japan, for the first time since* the League was formed, has not sent a delegation and is represented by a single observer. With the object of being remote from the centre of things the German changed their hotel, staying at the far end of Geneva. The hotel is guarded day and night by Swiss police. In addition to the delegation’s own plain clothes bodyguard. Dr. Dolfuss is also strongly guarded. The formation of his new Ministry necessitates a return to Vienna on Thursday. Mr Charles Theodore te Water’s election as president of the Assembly was due to the Mexican candidate’s inability to speak English or French. Moreover,' the Mexican threatened to leave the League if he were not elected, which annoyed several of the Powers. ,

The Assembly opened listlessly. Interest centres on the disarmament discussions.

The Sun Service learns that Sir J. A. Simon declared himself more optimistic than for a considerable time. The French were prepared for a much greater advance than was expected, informing him that any convention was better than none. Sir J. A. Simon pointed out that Germany wanted the convention, but Baron von Neurath insisted that it must be a convention to which Germany could subscribe, because she wanted honestly to fulfil it.

Sir J. A. Simon told the Dominion delegates that the improved FrenchItalian situation was an important augury.