LEAGUE OF NATIONS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 97, 15 December 1931, Page 5

LEAGUE OF NATIONS

(British Official Wireless)

manchurian trouble

VALUE IN PREVENTING TROUBLE FROM SPREADING LORD GREY'S CONVICTIONS

RUGBY, Sunday. Lord Grey and Lord Cecil, who returned yesterday from Paris at the conclusion of the League of Nations Council meeting, spoke at a dempnstration in London last night, on the Manchurian situation. Lord Grey said he thought those who took the extreme view, saying the Manchurian dispute had shown the futility of the League, were mistaken. Looking back to before the war, he thought of the complications to, whicb such a dispute would give rise, and, as a result, he said: "Thank Heaven, there has been a League of Nations." The League had prevented the present dispute from spreading; it had enabled the Powers to wprk together to promote peace, instead of playing each its own hand. it had changed the pre-war assumption that third party

intervention was an unfriendly act, and now, on the contrary, it was an infringement of honour of a Power if it did not accept mediation. Both Japan and China admitted the right of the Council to investigate. Moreover it had made clear that the Paris Pact and League Covenant were in line. The United States had taken an aetive and beneficial hand. Japan had a strong case in Manehuria, and he regretted she had not submitted it to the League before taking military action, which seemed to him as not in accordance with the Covenant or Pact. Lord Cecil, referring to the League Commission, which the Council has decided to send to Manehuria, said be believed it was a tremendous opportunity. If they were fortunate they might succeed in removing once and for all, the War cloud in the Far East.