He referred to the frequency with which the question of the composition of the Council would come up. Jat the Assembly, pointing out that not now raised for the first time. It was natural that those who cherished claims which were put off Jon account of momentary inex-and the changing composition of the Council, should renew their claims when the question appeared on the agenda owing to the entry of a new nation, If he rightly understood the cause Jof the anxiety of the British nation, was not that we were opposed to Jchange of Council or addition to it:
Sir Austen Chamberlain, speaking} on Mr. Baldwin's motion for adjourn ment to discuss the League Counci emphasized at the outset his sess of the delicacy of the The forthcoming meeting] the League had aroused so mue! interest and anxiety in Britain and abroad, that the Government felt it right that a statement should be made before their representative want to Geneva. Ie hoped to give is faction to the House without the diffcvlties of any.
He hoped the House Int be mindful of the ise at the opening of the ques-ion now, and fear lest the opening Jot the question should endanger th: results of Locarno. Perhaps it wax especially due to the sense that there something in the air which wi not fair play, (Some Conservative cheers, loud Labour cheers) something of which one Power rightly complain, something whic [was repugnant to the spirit of the kame ay we were accustomed to play it in State affairs ax in other vd careful what was said auxceptibilities of other ust pointed out that the meeting at Geneva had a twofold purpose (1) it was the ordinary quarterly meeting of the Council nntioned that ravin when the casion of the Assembly: called. in of Germany"s appli tion to Joi the League of Nation said that he and Viscount Ceci 0 the principal delegates Britain at that meeting. Sir Austen welt on" his affection for the League, us evidenced by the fact that he had attended every meeting} of the Council since he became Foreign Secretary. Tt was very close to his heart that during his tenure in the Foreign Office he should carry the general sentiment of the nation with He confessed that! it was not without grave anxiety that he watched the progress of thal mal controversy which had on this question.
The Language of Europe The Foreiga Secretary went on (0 say that representatives of the nations met at Geneva naturally inspired with the feelings _and the interests of their but if the League! was to grow in and power—as he was happy to think it had grown more rapidly of late—the: must, as M. Briand had said, not merely speak their own language, Gut they must speak the language of Europe indeed, of the whole world. Ie thought that this was a point of view neglected in much of the controversy carried on in the press in different countries, but he was encouraged to hope for bette: things from the moderation of the statements made by the representatives of the nations most. closely concerned.
In this connexion, he instanced the srecehes of Herr Luther, M. Briand, MIN. Skrzynski and M, Wandervelde, ame sense of y and delicacy of the ing proof of the same moderation of outlook and an earnest desire to arrive at an agreement acceptable to all, Sir Austen said the Government} shared the widely felt regret that those large issues as regards the composition of the Council had en_on this occasion. "We havel Ve have not instigate raise it this tims," he net say that it' was was signed. Herr tly Mferred from it the League of Nations ax an lusted ment us Castlereagh rixed the Conference of Powers, That policy: was protect the w ist the etiti which and ud the dangers from which it had just escaped, and simultaneously to welcome ' back into the concert guiding principle of the representatives at' Geneva must, therefore, be that they would be party to nothing endangering the success of Locarno or rendering it impossible that Germany might at the last moment enter the League of Nations.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.