OPTIONAL CLAUSE

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 250, 20 September 1929, Page 7

OPTIONAL CLAUSE

SIGNED AT GENEVA. AUSTRALIA AND CANADA. DELEGATES NOT AUTHORISED. (United Press Association.— By Electric Telograpli.—Copyright.) (Australian Press Association.—United / Service.) Received September 20, 9.20 a.m. GENEVA, Sept. 19. Britain, New Zealand, South Africa and India signed the Optional Clause to-day. ~ - In the absence of instructions trom their Governments, the delegates from Australia and Canada did not sign. WORLD PEACE. • IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION. (Australian Press Association.) Received September 20, 11.15 a.m. GENEVA, Sept. 19.. The Optional Clause was signed in the large Glass Hall, in which the League Council meets. At the last moment Sir Granvill Rvrie (Australia) and Hon. Raoul Dandurand (Canada) were unable to join the other delegates. Sir Granville declared that owing to the political crisis in Australia he had not received definite instructions from the Government, therefore, he was unable to sign to-day. Hon. Raoul -Dandurand announced that ho was still without authorisation from liis Government. Before signing Mr Arthur Henderson, the British Foreign Secretary, claimed that this was another important contribution toward world peace. He referred to the exclusion of interEmpire disputes. The signing then took place. France, Czeclio-Slovakia and Peru also signed. The ceremony was photograplied. v DEBATE IN PARLIAMENT. (By Telegraph.—Special to Standard.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 19. The question of New Zealand’s signing the optional clause of the statute of the Permanent Court of International Justice caused'a lengthy discussion in the House of Representatives this afternoon. The question was raised by the Leader of the -Labour Party (Mr H. E. Holland) on a motion that he moved for the adjournment of the House. Mr Holland complained that, while the matter was one of importance to the whole world, we were quite in the dark as to what would be the attitude of New Zealand. Sir Joseph Ward said that the matter was confidential up till the present. Mr Holland said that already there were many signatures to the clause and that the Irish Free State had already signed it. All such matters should be dealt with in the light of day. » Hon. W. Downie Stewart (Dunedin West) : Would you sign on the same terms as Ireland? Mr Holland: Certainly; this Parliament will ratify it to-.morrow. Mr Stewart: Without any reservations? Mr Holland: Certainly it will. . Mr Holland said that while apparently New Zealand and Australia were standing aloof the other Dominions were signing. He asked what the position was to-day. Had the negotiations been completed and, if so, would the Prime Minister tell the house the nature of the arrangement arrived at? If no arrangement had been arrived at, how could Sir James Parr state New Zealand’s attitude? The Prime Minister said that, so far as he was concerned, the negotiations between himself and the Prime Minister at Home were confined to secrecy. He said that he expected to. receive a communication to-morrow which would free him to make a statement. In the meantime he was taking up an attitude which he thought was justifiable.

The debate was continued at considerable length. In the meantime, before its conclusion, the evening papers were circulated and members were able to read in the cabled news _ that the whole of the Empire delegations had agreed to sign to-morrow except the Irish Free State which had already signed it.