LEAGUE CRITICISED

Hokitika Guardian, 27 September 1932, Page 5

LEAGUE CRITICISED

BY DE VALERA

IMPENDING ECONOMIC COLLAPSE

(United Presn Associat'.on-rrPy Electric ' Telegraph—Copyright.)

(Received this day at R. 25 a.m)

GENEVA, 'September 26

"The people are complaining that the League is over-active in secondary matters, but shelves, postpones, and ignores those problems touching the people’s very existence. W e are faring testing times,” said Mr de Valera, when opening the Assembly. ■He added that much criticism was unjustified, but the League wou’d undoubtedly be judged by the results of the disarmament conference, in which the progress was far short of the world’s , desires. Larger problems, such as the Par East, were not solved, arid all hoped that the Lytton report would conduce a just settlement. ■ There is world-wide evidence of an -imperilling economic jcfriV.apse, and a hundred million people are faced wiffstarvation in a world of plenty. The nations must face th e desperate situation frankly, aiid honestly. Blu e books and complacent resolutions cannot satisfy the general demand for action. We are defendants at the bar of pub’ic opinion with ’the burden of justification almost overwhelming,

Turning to Ireland, he said : “We want you to believe that we in Ireland desiye peace at home, and throughout trie world. In spite of misleading reports we consistently sought -to lead our own lives in our own' way, contributing, to the world the best that is ]D us, pursuing a policy to secur 6 proper adjustment of our own sound economic life.”

Mir de Valera finally lapsed into Gaelic 'with an invocation'. for divine blessing on their labours. De Valera’s speech ended in stony silence. ~ He is the most discussed man at Genera.

Sir Thomas Wilford represents New Zealand pn all the committees.