HAS IT FAILED?

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19886, 15 May 1936, Page 8

HAS IT FAILED?

l LEAGUE CRITICISED. l MR FORBES HITS OUT. TIME FOR STOCK’I‘AKING. _,__. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) \VELLINGTON, Friday. The House of Representatives at this morning's sitting, proceeded to dis—cuss the papers presented to the ltouse dealing with the League of Na—tions' sanctions and the report of the Dominion representative on the sixteenth assembly of the League. The Right 'Hou. G. \V. Forbes (Leader of the Opposition) said he thought the time had come for some stocktaking in regard to New Zealand‘s po>ition under the League of Nations. New Zealand in imposing sanctions had carried out ali requirements under the covenant, but the position should now he examined. Through Japan, America and Germany standing out, it was found impossible to apply sanc—tions as might otherwise have been done. He thought it was a great pity they had started out on such a scheme. Nothwithstanding the fact that considerable indignation was felt at. llal)‘ attacking Abyssinia, it was found that great nations were not prepared to stand behind the League and put. sanctions into Operation. Foredoomed to Failure. ‘i'hat was weakness, and 'the whole thing was foredoomed to failure and ultimately became a farce. When it came to the point of putting all sanctions into force. no nation was prepared to do so. All the nations desired to avoid war, and when it came to considering grievances or disputes between nations, sanctions could only be imposed if backed up by force. If the League were effective it should have been effective in the recent, case, but the whole world had to stand by while Italy used modern methods of warfare against a primitive people.

It. was Just slaughter. and Italy had slaughtered her way through and taken poasaaalon or Abyaalnll.

I Mr Forbes said the war was practiically over. and now, having seen the complete breakdown of existing machinery, the time had come for the whole thing to be reviewed. They could not be expected to remain under the conditions which existed when the Covenant was signed when they knew they were. engaged in a t'utility_ It was not plesant to realise that anbitration had been tried and proved futile. Ite t'elt. however, that they should not, altogether abandon the ideal, but that they should face the facts. The effect of sanctions had been that, instead of bringing about the feeling in the nations against whom they ap—plied that they were in wrong, it had had the opposite effect. It was like adding kerosene to the flames. The effect was to isolate Britain, who was Charged with other nations, with trying to prevent Italy from her rightful expansion. That was all that had emerged from the sanctions. Matter for imperial Conference. He thought it was a matter that should he brought before the imperial Conference. and that it was time united action on the part of the British Com—monwealth ot' Nations was taken. There was no use in keeping up a pretent'e that in keeping up the League of Nations, they could deal with the nations who wanted to wage a war ot‘ aggression. The). should face the facts and see if something could not he cle\'ised that. would handle things better than the Covenant of the League.

The war budgets had swollen to I tremendous extent, which showed that any belief in the power of the League of Nations had disappeared from the minds of those responsible for the Government of the various countries at the world. PRIME MINISTER'S VIEW. MUST STAND BY IDEALS. BIG JOBS AHEAD. \ r hi—Press Assnciationr) (By TaIeg\:?ELLINGTO.\', Friday. The Prime Minister, the Hon. 5L JSavage, said he agreed with Mr Forbes. it was necessary for the nations to have ideals. but there was no use in hav—ing ideals unless they were prepared to back them up. He thought they “01110 50 a long way towards abolishing wars if the League of Nations outlawed the private manufacture of munitions. He quoted the sanctions that had been put into operation and the cllt'cct they had had on ital): and suit-l no complications had arisen through .\e\v Zenland rarrying out her obligations because she had had the uo—onrration of tho common-i4ll community. The application of sanctions was either right. or wrong, and if they were applied the nations which applied them should be prepared to go the whole" way. He was looking forward however, to the time when it “Ullli‘i not be necessary to do {my surh thing. \\‘hat “(is wanted wns uollecihe artion to maintain the peace at" the world. Parr-loving people were in (L quandary {rs to what were to the the next Steps, and there. was a his job Hilf‘Htl. not only for the British Lion:— monwenith of nations Ihut also for all ‘thr', nations ot‘ the \\nrhl. Ht‘ thought ithv llragno might lrc revised, but until ‘lhr l‘t‘ill't‘SL‘lliilthCS nt‘ ii‘ir nations i'tlllltl mvvt 0n rommnn ground. (le—trrmi'hui to n‘m‘h an agreement, and l-ni‘uri'u nui‘vt‘mruts, they “mild not not wry far; but it" wanted an idealist ill the table. Optimistic for the Future. Mr Snuigu was uptimisiin nlmut the tuturl‘. He 'thought the time was rapidly» approaching when the foundation of peace would be laid. and he hoped the economic conditions that caused war would be abollshed. \\'iii‘n Hm i‘r‘ili'flSt‘il't'hf'h ni‘ Hm Bl‘llhli Huiuinunwuuutth «it ,\ltil'.lns met

they should méet, for a common pur~ nose and should be united. He. was hoping and praying that. they would direct greater attention than ever before the bringing about peace between nations. Mr Savage- th-ought that. Britain. in future. scattered as it. was over the greater part, of the earth, would play a major part in bringing about peace upon earth. \K‘hatever New Zealand and the New Zenluntl Go\‘cl‘nment (‘Ould do 111 the direction. not only of reducing armaments hut of making war impas—sihle altogether, ought to he rlonr. N 0 effort- nnd no expense. should be spared in the way of bringing it, about. He \multl like in see a rrfrrcndum (it the pvoph‘ nt‘ ”10 Parth. (1111] venture-d In pi-vrlict. that they \\'Ullltl say "Give Us heater.“ Mr 11. IL S. Kyle (titrrurlnn): D 0 ynu think ynu wuuhl got that frnin Germany? Mr Savage: Yes: I think we \wuld got. it from (torinnuy tu—lnm‘t‘o\\'. ‘ )lr Savugn saill thry would nut nt—t'orql tn try to stand ntunr‘. 'l‘hr-y had in \\'ol‘li in tho rollm‘tivn 501150. Ho, wantwl to 51'" the British tlummon“eat hr Nations stand tum-thvr and nut Handing illtltll‘. ll? thought the Im—‘tinns nt‘ tho nartli \wutti stanv’l with them in shaping the fuumtalviuns of IDeana.