THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 March 1926, Page 3

THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

[Australian & N.Z. Cable Association.]

THE GENEVA FAILURE LONDON, March 23. The “ Times ” Geneva correspondent

savs that the discussions that Geneva

- failed because there was a first class t clash between traditional diplomacy and the League machinery. Diplomacy is normally slow, but rapidity is essential at League meetings, tints causing a terrific intensity of negotiations between the fifty nations necessitating six days’ work by the old I methods being done in one. \et its ramifications arc endless. A trail could be traced to tho Ear East and South America with a maze of side tracks resulting in issues too great to be settled within

ten days. Probably Sir Austen Chamberlain erred throughout the first week in negotiating solely with the Locartio-

ites. Among those excluded was J< ranee, who may have resented this, ■resulting in eventual stulbbornncss. The others, including-Spain, also objected to Sir Austen Chamberlain’s methods. M. Briand persuaded Germany to ac-

cept the Swedish and C'zeeho-Slovakian offers, but the ship, which lie steered, was laden with the paraphernalia of

old diplomacy and so crashed into tho League’s hull, resulting in both being damaged, and disclosing the old barque’s cunning dodge, threats and hidden motives.

The League should not he blamed for the unsavoury business, because it has revealed the badness ol the old diplomacy. It also proved, even when within the League, a nation cannot bo forced to accept a policy of which it disapproved.

CENT RAT, EI’ROPFX PROBLEMS, PATHS, March 23.

Tho Jugo-Slav Foreign Minister, M. Ninehiticb, who has recently been busy on a pilgrimage to a number of European capitals, left Paris after "bat the newspapers term, ineresting conversations Ninchiteh previously negotiated with Italians at Borne and Geneva, where, according to French newsppaers, the Italians sought a bilateral treaty supplementing the existing Itillo-Jugo-Slav pact of friendship, but Ninchiteh desired the inclusion of France in that treaty. He is „ow taking back an offer from M. Briand of a treaty of friendship designed to be co-lateral with any agreement subsequently concluded between Belgrade and Rome, and il adopted would place France in the same relationship with Jugo-Slavia as "ith Czecho-Slovakia, with the obligation ot mutual assistance. The fact tha. . inch itch lias other irons in the hie is disclosed by an interview with tie Greek Foreign Minister. Rouphos at Beho-ade. which it is said was so satisfactory that he expected to see a complete agreement reached between - two States. He added that though a ■ present it would be Preniature to talk in concrete terms ol a Balkan lac , he was convinced that all the nut standin,, questions between the two State would he settled. _