GENEVA CONVENTION

Hokitika Guardian, 22 September 1930, Page 5

GENEVA CONVENTION

AUSTRALIAN PREMIER’S SPEECH

(.United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. J

GENEVA, September 12.

. The Prime Minister of Australia, Hon. J. H. Seullin, addressed the Disarmament Committee of the Leagpe of Nations. He reaffirmed the faith .of the Government and the people'of Australia, in the aims and achiever jmeritsi of the League of Nations, . .. f Many people believed that ‘the League of Nations was making insufficient progress towards disarmament, ‘‘but,” he said, “we must give " due credit for the success achieved. While I realise the immense difficulties, botji technical and political, that are facing the proposed Disarmament Conference, we should be able to look forward to greater; progress. The cost of armaments are .an ov.er-heavy load for,,the people, who are, burdened already with excessive. taxation to meet the colossal, cost of war. Unless civilisation is to stand still, then we must take fuller advantage of the means available/, of settling international differences, by law instead of by war, which is a barbarous method.” ~ Mr Scullin’s speech was made,, in the course of , the debate on the prp-p-oeed Convention for financially aiding any country which is the victim of aggression. Mr Seullin declared that the Austraian Government strongly supporter the prinicples of the proposed convention, hut subject to two conditions. These were, first, that the provisions of the Convention should not operate till a general disarmament treaty had been signed; and, secondly, that '-the liability of the guarantors should be limited to the. share assigned to them in the draft convention.

Mr Seullin, in passing, joined in an appeal to the delegates to accept compromises in the wording of the Convention of London. '/■