"A HORRIBLE EVIL"

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 138, 9 December 1930, Page 9

"A HORRIBLE EVIL"

SLAVEEY DECRIED.

LORD CECIL'S VIEWS

The good results of the League of Ifations humanitarian work, especially respecting its care of refugees, were balanced against the alleged failure to copo with the evil of slavery in a succession of reports to tho Assembly, writes Envin I). Canham in the "Christian Science Monitor." --.■■. In what was regarded as one of the most frankly disappointing speeches to which' the Assembly ever listened, Viscount Cecil, Great Britain, declared that there are at least 5,000,000 slaves still in the world, and that the League's long struggle against this evil resulted last year in absolutely no progress whatever. Lord Cecil's remarks arose from a report of the sixth committee, which found itself unable to accept the British proposal for a permanent slavery commission. Lor*d Cecil said that the present Assembly's conclusions on slavery, vrere sad. It was merely^proposed to do nothing for another year, although the previous year's results had been absolutely nil. The League merely waits, he said, for governments to send information regarding slavery in their countries, and those which still have slaves are not so self-denying as to inform the League. Other States which, know the truth about their neighbours cannot tell tales. The British delegation proposed the formation of an international authority specially charged with supervision and investigation, and report upon all phases of the existence of slavery and slave-trading in all parts of the world. BRITISH IDEA OPPOSED. The British delegation, said Lord Cecil, was most conciliatory and willing to adopt any machinery to achieve the desired end, but the other members were unwilling to approve any machinery whatever. Opponents of the British idea in committee were Abyssinia, Belgium, Prance, Italy, Liberia, the Netherlands, and Portugal, Spain, Siam, and India supported two alternaYive British plans, but the remainder of the' committee were still opposed. Lord Cecil declared that the unwillingness of the League members to adopt machinery constituted a result which would be received with profound disappointment by many thousands of people throughout the world. "Lot us not deceive ourselves," said Lord Cecil, "slavery is a horrible evil. It is often said that slaves are happier as slaves than if free. Wo delegates would not say this, if we were in the position, of the slaves. The allegation ahraya has been untrue. Tlio ownership of slaves involves the utterly bestial institution of slave-trading. I hope public opinion takes notice of vrhat the League has done, to-day and wakes sure that there is tio postponewlM wxt year."