Geneva, Sept. 13.
France aligned herself alongside] Great Britain to-day when M. Pierre Laval, the French Premier, in his eagerly awaited speech before the League Assembly, voiced the firm determination of his country to uphold the Covenant.
"Everybody has to take responsibility "in the present situation," he declared, "I do so on behalf of France.
repeat our faith in the Covenant. We cannot fail in our obligations."
The Assembly was packed this morning with an excited throng wait ing to hear the French Premier make his speech. M. Laval, who previously had" chatied Samuel Bos Secretary, mounted the rostrum at 1030 am. and was greeted with a burst of applause.
He commenced his speech by declaring that France would. supper! the Covenant. From the Protocol of 1924 to the Disarmament Conference of: 1992, hho said, France had steadfastly pursued the doctrine of collective security.
"How can we let it die?" he asked. "All reason and justice would be] against it All our international agreements are based on the League of Nations and any damage to the League would damage our security'
Referring to the speech made by Sir Samuel Hosre, the French Pr miler declared that It represented th highest level of thought and was full "chowed the determination of the BHtish Government to stand by th League of Nations. No power has treated the words spoken by Sir Samuel Hoare more warmly" than France, Nobody better knows their An Historic Date He described the speech made by the British Foreign Secretary "an historic date in the annals of the League."
"We rejoice," he declared "in our lose ce-operation with Great Britain for the defence of peace and the safe-guarding of Europe."
'M. Laval recalled that the Franco-Italian agreement signed earlier this year definitely excluded "all that might divide us. We are ready 10 preserve that ce-operation for the Feallzation of peace.
"In the present supreme effort of the League to find a solution to the Ualo-Abyssinian dispute, Tam deter~ mined to full my duty'as a member of the League and a friend of Ital "Everything will be done to satisfy the legitimate requirements of Italy. having regard to the rights of members of the League, No disagree ment exists between Great Britain and France in their search for a peaceful settlement of the dispute between Italy and Abyssinia,"
During the past year," M, Laval continued, "we have. successfully surmounted diMeult problems such as the Saar and the Hungary-Yugoslavian dispute, We shall try achieve the same success.
"Our obligations are in the Covenant of the League of Nations and France will not withdraw from them," he concluded.
Prolonged applause greeted the con clusion of M. Laval's speech, while the British Foreign Secretary' jumped up from his seat and warmly shook hands with the French Premier.
'M. Litvinoff, the Soviet Foreign Commissar, had been expected to seal but he removed his name from Following M. Laval's speech, Sir Samuel Hoare departed for London
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.