THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 September 1927, Page 2

THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

'Australian Press Association <!t Sun.) GENEVA, Sept. 5. Tho Asseni hly of the League of Nations opened with an agenda of small interests, compared with that containing the admission of Germany last year, ill addition to a feeling of a hard setback, owing to the failure of the Naval Conference and a sense of a heavy personal loss of Lord Cecil and Air Do Jouvenal. However, the League has lived up to the limitation of always doing the unexpected in the comparatively small matter of the election of President for ihc year. Tho l obbyists had declared the President would assuredly he fine Austrian, Count Von .MensdorlT. one of the few lenders of the old Hnnslmrg regime, who has adapted himself to post, war conditions. Ho played an important part in the negotiations before the outbreak' of the war. when lie was popular in society. The expectations were not realised but never was the voting so close. From the forty-seven votes cast, Air Guana received twentyfour, and Count Von Mensdorff 21, and two others received one vote each. It is understood the voting does not imply anything behind the scenes of ihc contest and certainly was not due to any old war feeling. It implies that Austria was so recently put on her feet by the League that it is too early for her at present to take a leading position.

Having begun this lalsificafcion ol tho prohpets, rumour had it that the Assembly lias other fireworks in store. It is alleged that Herr Stresenia.nu (German Foreign Minister) is determined on a full dress debate on disarmament, for which AT. Boncour (France) is said to he preparing one of his bursts of oratory.

M. Villags, in his presidential address. found an excuse for the League’s apparent slowness over disarmament in the breakdown of the recent Naval Conference. He said: Three great nations, actuated by a wish to lighten their financial burdens and to demonstrate a good understanding and their confidence in a peaceful future, had found the Naval problem too. complex. “How then,” he said, “can we ho surprised that a general conversion for a reduction of the armaments of all Nations has met with difficulties.” He preferred to describe the League’s apparent slowness as discerning prudence, which was the conditions of final success.

Mr Sokae- head of the Polish delegation) declared that Europe’s Malaise could bo removed hv non-aggression agreements. He said negotiations for these were at present proceeding between Poland and Russia. He added that possibly the question would bo brought up in the Assembly in a few days.

GENEVA, Sept. 6. Mr Guani’s election was a. striking success for Sir Austen Chamberlain. It demonstrates the influence of the Great Powers. M. Guani acted as Rapportier in the Mosul dispute, and was hardworking in his support of the League. When he. was excluded from tlio Council last year, Sir A. Chamberlain promised to support M. Guani’s candidature for. the next election for the Presidency. It seemed unlikely that M. Guani would he elected, hut he was saved by a combination of Latin-Anierica and the delegates from CVccho-Slovakia., Jugo-Slavia and ltou- ’ mania, who all objected to Count Von Mensdorff.’

CANADA’S EFFORT. LONDON, Sept. 6. The Daily Telegraph’s diplomatic correspondent states: It is extremely gratifying that Canada’s candidature for a non-permanent seat on the League Council was due to the Canadian Government Itself. This shows the falsity of a report circulated by opponents to any Dominion candidature at Geneva,' that Canada was lukewarm in the matter; and so Canada’s candidature will now have the united support of the Dominion delegations. Sir A.usten Chamberlain must be congratulated on discarding the objections to Dominion candidature that were so curiously urged in 1926 by the Home diplomats.