LEAGUE OF NATIONS

Hokitika Guardian, 7 September 1928, Page 3

LEAGUE OF NATIONS

LEAGUE COUNCIL. SPEECH BY MR McLACHLAN. Australian Press Assn.—United Service

(Received tliiß day at 9.30 a.m). GENEVA, September G. In a speech at Geneva, Mr AlcLachlau said Australia felt the League’s principal aim should always bo towards increasing- international co-operation, as a means o'f safeguarding peace. It feared some of its recent activities might endanger this great work. Every country desired to be the master of its own intorniil policy and this should be kept constantly in view. Last year the World Economic Conference gave a new impetus in a new direction of the League’s economic work. Australia was forced to study its activities. Australia recognised the great importance of the League’s work in reconstructing Europe and realised it would share in 'the general benefit arising from a more prosperous Europe. The League’s work was designed to remove obstacles hindering trade, and in preparing ground for international agreements had been an admirable action, regarding the divergency of national laws on bills of exchange anomalies, customs formalities and differences in tariff. Nomenclature constituted a legitimate and safe field for international action. In raising the question df customs tariffs, however, the Economic' 1 Committee was pricking deep into the heart of national policies. It would be dangerous, even hazardous, for the League to concern itself actively in customs tariffs. Apart from any direct approach to the question,!)}’ the, league, Australia was concerned in the possibility of the League calling an international conference to consider cither the general question .of the incidence of tariffs or the particular effect of the tariffs to guide com-. modities. Different countries reached essentially different stages of development. Some were interested in a certain commodity as producers and others as consumers. International conferences called to consider such a commodity might easily cause irritation instead of amity. Therefore, be was imfeignedly glad to'see the Economic Committee’s cautious approach to the tariff problem, which was essentially a national one. The time bad not arrived when tlie League could safely enter the field. It riiust, therefore, for the sake of prestige be doubly, nay trebly, careful before it embarked on an economic adventure which however desirable in some ways, might prove a stumbling block and even a source of offence to others. They must not conclude that Aus tralia did not desire to encourage the work of. the economic organisation. She unequivocally approved of its quest for clearer'information oil’the progress ol commerce, industry, and agriculture, also a campaign to persuade countries to adopt comparable statistics to permit all to discover bow each could contribute best to the material welfare ol the world. “ It is because it is my desire to see the League prosper that l sound this note of warning. Let every effort bo made to collect and disseminate data enabling each the better to understand the results of its tariff, but must be cautious how to approach a general reduction of tariffs lest we antiigon.se some and weaken the League s power to achieve international peace and se'The Norwegian, Mowinckle followed McLaclilan and roused the Assenihlj for the first time with an impassioned speech, during which be was frequently applauded. Reloaded tor greater confidence in the League among Ihe nations. He had hoped the birth i.r the League after the war would have introduced a new spirit and brought the nations close together, >u u we found was that everywhere armaments were increasing, and more and more and frightful gases were being inthe mm.ce.it at the mercy of a change of wind. reported manoeuvres daily on all sidi. . There were army, air and submarine manoeuvres: AVas there to lie no end Relapsing into English, he sine . • .situation's’ due! to distrust between the nation* that still exists because a ; sufficiently strong league has not been j established to ensure mutual deuce. -He appealed to delegates and the countries they represented to » get the national outlook and cofne together in the spirit of the >e-K; When tlie people trusted t i ■ - they would not fear each other.; The whole afternoon was occupied with an intern,enable dispute between Lithuania and Poland. Aaldemaias reviewed tho history of the dispute and blamed Poland for tho negotiations by pressing a < ■ f °Zaliski briefly replied on behalf of P< Thc d Council adjourned tho discussion and deliberated privately! Valeniaras announced Lithuania. adhesion to the Kellogg I act.