SANCTIONS"

Evening Post, Issue 126, 29 May 1936, Page 10

SANCTIONS"

AGGRESSOR NATIONS

EFFECTIVENESS DISCUSSED

X.Z. AND BRITAIN

The efficacy or otherwise of sanctions as a means of checking an aggressor nation was a subject discussed in the Legislative Council today when the League of Nations Sanctions Regulations Confirmation Bill came up for second reading. The Leader^ of the Council (the Hon. M. Fagan) said the Bill was necessary to validate regulations made under the Act imposing sanctions against Italy. It was difficult to estimate at the mo» ment the effect of the sanctions. The British Government had decided to continue the imposition of sanctions in | spite of the fact that the Italo-Abyssin- I ian war had been concluded. "Whether sanctions were to be continued would ' be decided by the League of Nations | Council when it met at Geneva on June 16. ONLY IRRITATING. The Hon. F. Waite said that everybody who was a well-wisher of the League realised that it must be reconstituted. He Hoped that the Australian and New Zealand Governments would indicate to Britain before June 16 that sanctions, which were now only irritating, should not be continued. The Hon. R. McCallum said that Abyssinia was gone as a nation today because she had trusted the League. Had she not she would have retained half her territory. Sir James Allen did not think that Abyssinia had lost her territory ber cause, of League action. Had the League not been' in existence Abyssinia's position would probably be much worse today. He did not agree that New Zealand should intimate that this country did not believe in sanctions. Peace might be brought about Iby conciliation among the nations. MUST STAND WITH BRITAIN. Replying, Mr. Fagan said that the Government had informed the British Government of its views', but the Government thought that as New Zealand was part and parcel of the British Commonwealth of ■ Nations, she must rise or fall with the rest of the Commonwealth. • The Government considered that there must ba some reason for Britain continuing sanctions as a bargaining point of some. description. The New Zealand Government did not want to embarrass the British Government by a division among the nations that stood behind the British Government. .

The Bill was passed.