New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-09-09
I'm Speech, Regarded as
Rebuke 10 Cecil Appeal
for Action on Debts, He
Sounds Note of Warming
Peace Agency, He Holds
British. Statesman Says sfie
World Body Must Not
Supersede Governments
BY Wilbur Forrest
speclel caare Is rhe r,laans

GENEVA, sept. S.--isord hobeIi
cccil,s plan for The League Of Nations
to insist on handling great problems
such as German reparations and inter-
national debts, was severely attacked
to-day before the assembly by the Earl
Of Balfour, who said the league WAS
impotent to handle the greater issues.
He reminded Lord Robert and others
that they are attempting to make the
league operate in territory 1t was never
intended TO enter. Many listeners con-
sidered that the Earl of Balfour'a
speech was a rehuke to those who con-
tended that the league should cease
secondary functioning and take up the
big problems or confess its failure.
As Balfour is member of the pow
eYful league council as we'll as of the
British cabinet, his speech must be
considered as at least expressing the
sentiment of his government and there
fore blasting any hope of the leagues
activity in greater matters even if, as
Lord Robert Cecil declared, these
events are poisoning the atmosphere
Of Europe.
Peace Was Leagues Object
Remember" said the Earl of Bal
four, chat the founders of the league
thought they were setting up machin-
cry to preserve peace They thought
and, let me say. we thought, we were
danger.of great war by rearfanging
the map of Europe more in conformity
with the wishes of its population and
laying down the solid foundations for
g peace which, with help from the
league, by the operation of moral
forces, might be eternal. | do not say
this is dream and will not be real
ity within the lifetime OF those am
now addressing. But evidently the
statesmen who made the league did
rot feTesee the character Of postwar
calamities ard the machinery of the
league was not intended to Sc tile terms
Of pence or end a war;
Baifour specifically mentioned the
mlserahie, wretched, unhappy, calami-
tous Greco-Turk war as a last phase
of the great war in which the league
has not the authority to intervene y
de criticized Lord Robert Cecil as one
of those who regard the league as al
most substitute for national organi-
cations, foreign Offices and war Offices
believing that the international efforts
OF every nation should be merged and
the league must be all or nothing. He
warned his listeners that the league
might eventually reach such heights
but only by slow stages and the care.
ful remodcling of it's machinery
lU;ra
As one of the most influential, if not
the most influential, league delegate
Balfour drew applause when he fin.
ished his peroration as follows
1T seems to me to show the greatest
ignorance of the changes in history tc
imagine that we who were called into
existence few short years ago, anc
now face situation never contem.
plated by those who created us, shoule
take on tasks beyond our ability anc
act as if we had already acquired al
the authority and prestige which
would enable us TO execute effectivel,
those great visions of the future"
Previously he had criticized Dir
Nansen's speech in which the explorer
blamed the Russian famine to some
extent for the leagues inactivity last
year. He excused the leagues failure
to participate in Russian relief OF
the grounds of dealing with govern
rdent in which no one had faith, anc
rightly or wrongly believed by high
authority to have gold of its owr
which might have bsen spent in feed
ing its starving people," Despite al
this he said the British government
as an individual nation contributed
generously.
Haytian Delegate Cheered
In great contrast to Balfour, repre-
senting one OF the greatest nations O
the league, NJ. Belligarde, representa-,
Hayti, made an enthusiasticall,
cheered speech, in which he said: 9Th,
president of the Assembly, August,
Edwards, counseled prudence and Lor,
Robert Cecils advice to the leagu
was boldness. Possibly some one lik
Balfour or Bourgeois will be skillfu
TO find compromise on which thu
league can work. His advice to tn,
league was to be "prudently bold' o
boldly prudent" Beiligarde was ex
pected to refer to the American occu
patton Of Hayti, but he only mentione,
the United States to regret that coun
try was not member of the league.
Belligar(le stirred the Assembly
however, by his demand for commits
sion to inquire into the recent Hotten
tot revolt in South Africa, wher,
natives resisting crushing taxes wert
quelled by the white mans air bombs
machine guns and artillery, resultin,
in the indiscriminate killing Of men
women and children.