GENEVA DISCUSSIONS

Evening Star, Issue 19658, 10 September 1927, Page 4

GENEVA DISCUSSIONS

LEAGUE ASSEMBLY MEETING THE MANDATE COMMISSION SEAT RECOMMENDED FOR GERMANY. ■ Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. GENEVA, September 8. The Poles have accepted a whittled down formula acceptable to Sir Austen Chamberlain, M. Briand, and Dr Stresemann. The excitement: of the last two days has passed,_ but the Dutch protocol proposition'is still to bo tackled. The Council to-day received the Mandates Commission’s report, including a recommendation to increase the membership in order to give Germany a seat. In an interview a leading Gorman delegate said: “ We desire a scat chiefly in order to remove tho stigma of moral inferiority,-and the, suggestion that wo did not‘rule the > colonies justly and humanely. ' We insist that Germany ruled the native races as well as—wo do not say better than—uij other Power, and she has done a _ worthy share of the work of exploration and scientific efforts of all kinds. Wo am assured that the West Africans would like to return to German. control in preference to union with the' South ‘Africans. Nevertheless, we are not joining the Mandates Commission in order to seek the quick return of our mandated ex-colonics. We recognise that, though this would bo acceptable; it would be impossible, except through the mandate being vacated or through a League decision based on a recommendation of the Mandates Commission itself, which at present is very unlikely. Our vital concern is to participate in the League’s colonising work as a recognition of our experience and efforts on behalf of native peoples. Wo have no aims whatever in the direction of again obtaining control of New Guinea, Nauru, or Samoa.” NO AGGRESSION PACTS. ' POLAND’S PROPOSALS. GENEVA, September 8. Tho Polish proposals, as amended, were handed l to tho heads ol the Locarno Powers. They were:—(l) All wars of aggression are to remain prohibited; (2) tho Assembly declares it obligatory on members of the League to conform with'this principle, wherefore the Assembly calls on members of tho League to conclude non-aggres-sion pacts inspired by tho idea that all pacific means should bo employed to settle mutual differences, whatsoever their nature. This version increases rather than diminishes the obligations _ on the Locarno signatories. Tho British delegation confirms this. A Warsaw correspondent declares that the ’ latest demands ’ aro entirely ur.-.ccoptable to tho Powers subscribing to the modified pact. LEAGUE FUNDS. POOLING PROPOSED. GENEVA, September 8. Sir Austen Chamberlain welcomed the proposal of M. Erich. Finland, suggesting the pooling of tho_ League funds in order to compensate victims, as evidence of the solidarity of the League against a State guilty of aggression, since the anticipation of the receipt of such aid might ’ deter an intending aggressor. Sir Austen Chamberlain added that the scheme involved heavy commitments, and the Government could not request the necessary powers from Parliament unless it was proved that Britain would„secnre compensation for a financial effort—for instance, in the shape of a reduction of armaments and the prospect of general disarmament. A decision on this matter must be reserved until disarmament attained a visible measure of success, and it could be seclh to what extent members of the League supported the scheme. MINORITIES NOT PROTECTED. LEAGUE FAILURES EXAMINED. /• - - LONDON, September 8. The Geneva correspondent of the ‘Daily Mail’ says that Count Aplonyi, after referring to tho successes of the League, examined its failures, tho chief of which was the lack of protection accorded to the minorities brought into existence by peace treaties. He had proposed remedies which the Council rejected. Minorities created by war would always endanger peace. DISARMAMENT. ' THE DEBATE CONTINUED, GENEVA, September 9. (Received September 10, at 10,20 a.m.) Tho public galleries were packed ' when the Belgian delegate, M. Vandervelde, resumed the debate. He deplored the division of the Assembly into two camps. The Assembly owed itself the duty of considering tho Dutch and other proposals . based on the principles of the protocol. In order to record opinion' against war they should proceed slowly and prudently. An incomplete volution would be dangerous. The Disarmament Conference had not failed. The Powers now recognised that there was not merely a moral, but a judicial, obligation to disarm. It was now essential to prepare ■ a solution of the problem, leaving its execution to* the nations. It was impossible for the nations to remain stationary. They must either disarm or continue tho wild pursuit of, armaments, leading inevitably to war. The Eeoples wanted not merely guarantees, ut conscious security.