It was-quite clear, Lord Cranborne proceeded, that the League acting alone would not bring in those nonmember states whose ce-operation would be necessary in any action, whether conciliatory or of any other kind.
Was there any other basis which appeared more effective? There was the Nine-Power Treaty, which included all nations whose co-opera tion seemed essential.
In view of these facts, Lord Cranborne declared, the Committee recommended that the Nine-Power Treaty states be invited to meet and consider the dispute.
There were those who said that the League, in addition to making that recommendation, should take economic action of its own.
That, the Foreign Under-Secretary asserted, ignored one essential factor. It was only when the extent of cooperation to be expected was known that you could tell whether any given action was likely to be effectly The basis of the League acting alone, he added, did not satisfy that condition, and to embark on action without knowing whether it was likely to be effective would not only have been futile but definitely dangerous The jection which the League did take of consultation between states adhering to the Nine-Power Treaty, Lord Cranborne concluded, was the only hopeful line of approach.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.