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Diary 5: January - July 1938 Item 17
TRANSCRIPTION
March 10th 1938.
Frank Walters has had a talk with Lord
Halifax, the new Foreign Secretary, in
London, on the question of the British
attitude towards the League. Halifax said
that Chamberlain's speech of the 22nd of
February had been greatly misinterpreted
but that that misinterpretation was general;
he added that a paragraph would appear in
the speech to be made on the 7th of March
in the House of Commons, which would restate
the position more clearly. Walters pointed
out that since 36 when the sanctions policy
was declared to have failed, the British
were supposed to be endeavouring to maintain
and rebuild the League taking into account
the change which might be necessary in
connection with the theory and practice of
sanctions; they argued that British armament
was a contribution to collective security
and since that time the League position had
been somewhat improved. Walters said to
Halifax that the Prime Minister's speech
had upset all that patient work and it
would be difficult to convince Members of
the League that its maintainance was still
a cardinal point of British policy, if in
the British conversations with Italy the
attitude of Italy towards the League was
left out of consideration, that would be
regarded as confirming the view that London
was indifferent to the fate of the League
or looked at it, if not with indifference,
at any rate with nothing more than inactive
benevolence and now they were proposing to
ask the Council at the next session - if
agreement with Italy has been reached -
flatly to approve of British recognition
of Abyssinia. Several members of the League
right hand side
had recognised Abyssinia without insisting
that the League should give its blessing.
The feeling would be, said Walters, that
they were now being asked to approve an
action taken at this moment because it was
of British interest to take it and that was
merely the convenience of His Majesty's
Government in connection with its own
internal position. That would be extremely
difficult; in the meantime, Italy would be
encouraged to intensify her attacks on the
League.
Walters spoke very well and very
frankly and Halifax said he would give
the difficulties a great deal of thought.
Language(s) of Transcription
LOCATION
Gdańsk (Poland) (54.3612, 18.5499)
Story Location
ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT
Document Date
Document Type
Document Description
Language of Description
Keywords
External Web Resources
People
STORY INFORMATION
Title
Diary 5: January - July 1938
Creator
Lester | Seán | 1888-1959
Contributor
Lester, Seán, 1888-1959
Seán Lester
Date
28 January 1938-25 July 1938
Type
Text
Rights
This collection has been digitised and made available by Dublin City University Library. Please credit Dublin City University Library when using these images, creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Language
eng
Identifier
#5b001t40z
LandingPage
https://www.europeana.eu/item/707/_5b001t40zCountry
Ireland
DatasetName
707__Dublin_City_University
Begin
1936-05-01
End
1937-02-28
Language
en
Created
2022-03-23T16:13:34.244Z
2022-03-23T16:13:37.466221Z
2022-03-23T16:13:37.467468Z
Story Description
Handwritten and typed diary entries relating to Lester's time as Deputy Secretary General of the League of Nations in Geneva. Includes draft letter from Lester to Anthony Eden, British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and copy letter to HR Cummings, London representative of the Secretary General of the League of Nations.
TRANSCRIPTION
LOCATION
DESCRIPTION
PEOPLE
STORY INFO
TUTORIAL
March 10th 1938.
Frank Walters has had a talk with Lord
Halifax, the new Foreign Secretary, in
London, on the question of the British
attitude towards the League. Halifax said
that Chamberlain's speech of the 22nd of
February had been greatly misinterpreted
but that that misinterpretation was general;
he added that a paragraph would appear in
the speech to be made on the 7th of March
in the House of Commons, which would restate
the position more clearly. Walters pointed
out that since 36 when the sanctions policy
was declared to have failed, the British
were supposed to be endeavouring to maintain
and rebuild the League taking into account
the change which might be necessary in
connection with the theory and practice of
sanctions; they argued that British armament
was a contribution to collective security
and since that time the League position had
been somewhat improved. Walters said to
Halifax that the Prime Minister's speech
had upset all that patient work and it
would be difficult to convince Members of
the League that its maintainance was still
a cardinal point of British policy, if in
the British conversations with Italy the
attitude of Italy towards the League was
left out of consideration, that would be
regarded as confirming the view that London
was indifferent to the fate of the League
or looked at it, if not with indifference,
at any rate with nothing more than inactive
benevolence and now they were proposing to
ask the Council at the next session - if
agreement with Italy has been reached -
flatly to approve of British recognition
of Abyssinia. Several members of the League
right hand side
had recognised Abyssinia without insisting
that the League should give its blessing.
The feeling would be, said Walters, that
they were now being asked to approve an
action taken at this moment because it was
of British interest to take it and that was
merely the convenience of His Majesty's
Government in connection with its own
internal position. That would be extremely
difficult; in the meantime, Italy would be
encouraged to intensify her attacks on the
League.
Walters spoke very well and very
frankly and Halifax said he would give
the difficulties a great deal of thought.
- English (English)
March 10th 1938.
Frank Walters has had a talk with Lord
Halifax, the new Foreign Secretary, in
London, on the question of the British
attitude towards the League. Halifax said
that Chamberlain's speech of the 22nd of
February had been greatly misinterpreted
but that that misinterpretation was general;
he added that a paragraph would appear in
the speech to be made on the 7th of March
in the House of Commons, which would restate
the position more clearly. Walters pointed
out that since 36 when the sanctions policy
was declared to have failed, the British
were supposed to be endeavouring to maintain
and rebuild the League taking into account
the change which might be necessary in
connection with the theory and practice of
sanctions; they argued that British armament
was a contribution to collective security
and since that time the League position had
been somewhat improved. Walters said to
Halifax that the Prime Minister's speech
had upset all that patient work and it
would be difficult to convince Members of
the League that its maintainance was still
a cardinal point of British policy, if in
the British conversations with Italy the
attitude of Italy towards the League was
left out of consideration, that would be
regarded as confirming the view that London
was indifferent to the fate of the League
or looked at it, if not with indifference,
at any rate with nothing more than inactive
benevolence and now they were proposing to
ask the Council at the next session - if
agreement with Italy has been reached -
flatly to approve of British recognition
of Abyssinia. Several members of the League
right hand side
had recognised Abyssinia without insisting
that the League should give its blessing.
The feeling would be, said Walters, that
they were now being asked to approve an
action taken at this moment because it was
of British interest to take it and that was
merely the convenience of His Majesty's
Government in connection with its own
internal position. That would be extremely
difficult; in the meantime, Italy would be
encouraged to intensify her attacks on the
League.
Walters spoke very well and very
frankly and Halifax said he would give
the difficulties a great deal of thought.
Language(s) of Transcription
English Translation
Transcription History
March 10th 1938. Frank Walters has had a talk with Lord Halifax, the new Foreign Secretary, in London, on the question of the British attitude towards the League. Halifax said that Chamberlain's speech of the 22nd of February had been greatly misinterpreted but that that misinterpretation was general; he added that a paragraph would appear in the speech to be made on the 7th of March in the House of Commons, which would restate the position more clearly. Walters pointed out that since 36 when the sanctions policy was declared to have failed, the British were supposed to be endeavouring to maintain and rebuild the League taking into account the change which might be necessary in connection with the theory and practice of sanctions; they argued that British armament was a contribution to collective security and since that time the League position had been somewhat improved. Walters said to Halifax that the Prime Minister's speech had upset all that patient work and it would be difficult to convince Members of the League that its maintainance was still a cardinal point of British policy, if in the British conversations with Italy the attitude of Italy towards the League was left out of consideration, that would be regarded as confirming the view that London was indifferent to the fate of the League or looked at it, if not with indifference, at any rate with nothing more than inactive benevolence and now they were proposing to ask the Council at the next session - if agreement with Italy has been reached - flatly to approve of British recognition of Abyssinia. Several members of the League right hand side had recognised Abyssinia without insisting that the League should give its blessing. The feeling would be, said Walters, that they were now being asked to approve an action taken at this moment because it was of British interest to take it and that was merely the convenience of His Majesty's Government in connection with its own internal position. That would be extremely difficult; in the meantime, Italy would be encouraged to intensify her attacks on the League. Walters spoke very well and very frankly and Halifax said he would give the difficulties a great deal of thought.
March 10th 1938. Frank Walters has had a talk with Lord Halifax, the new Foreign Secretary, in London, on the question of the British attitude towards the League. Halifax said that Chamberlain's speech of the 22nd of February had been greatly misinterpreted but that that misinterpretation was general; he added that a paragraph would appear in the speech to be made on the 7th of March in the House of Commons, which would restate the position more clearly. Walters pointed out that since 36 when the sanctions policy was declared to have failed, the British were supposed to be endeavouring to maintain and rebuild the League taking into account the change which might be necessary in connection with the theory and practice of sanctions; they argued that British armament was a contribution to collective security and since that time the League position had been somewhat improved. Walters said to Halifax that the Prime Minister's speech had upset all that patient work and it would be difficult to convince Members of the League that its maintainance was still a cardinal point of British policy, if in the British conversations with Italy the attitude of Italy towards the League was left out of consideration, that would be regarded as confirming the view that London was indifferent to the fate of the League or looked at it, if not with indifference, at any rate with nothing more than inactive benevolence and now they were proposing to ask the Council at the next session - if agreement with Italy has been reached - flatly to approve of British recognition of Abyssinia. Several members of the League right hand side had recognised Abyssinia without insisting that the League should give its blessing. The feeling would be, said Walters, that they were now being asked to approve an action taken at this moment because it was of British interest to take it and that was merely the convenience of Hi Majesty's Government in connection with its own internal position. That would be extremely difficult; in the meantime, Italy would be encouraged to intensify her attacks on the League. Walters spoke very well and very frankly and Halifax said he would give the difficulties a great deal of thought.
March 10th 1938. Frank Walters has had a talk with Lord Halifax, the new Foreign Secretary, in London, on the question of the British attitude towards the League. Halifax said that Chamberlain's speech of the 22nd of February had been greatly misinterpreted but that that misinterpretation was general; he added that a paragraph would appear in the speech to be made on the 7th of March in the House of Commons, which would restate the position more clearly. Walters pointed out that since 36 when the sanctions policy was declared to have failed, the British were supposed to be endeavouring to maintain and rebuild the League taking into account the change which might be necessary in connection with the theory and practice of sanctions; they argued that British armament was a contribution to collective security and since that time the League position had been somewhat improved. Walters said to Halifax that the Prime Minister's speech had upset all that patient work and it would be difficult to convince Members of the League that its maintainance was still a cardinal point of British policy, if in the British conversations with Italy the attitude of Italy towards the League was left out of consideration, that would be regarded as confirming the view that London was indifferent to the fate of the League or looked at it, if not with indifference, at any rate with nothing more than inactive benevolence and now they were proposing to ask the Council at the next session - if agreement with Italy has been reached - flatly to approve of British recognition of Abyssinia. Several members of the League right hand side had recognised Abyssinia without insisting that the League should give its blessing. The feeling would be, said Walters, that they were now being asked to approve an action taken at this moment because it was of British interest to take it and that was merely the convenience of Hi Majesty's Government in connection with its own internal position. That would be extremely difficult; in the meantime, Italy would be encouraged to intensify her attacks on the League. Walters spoke very well and very frankly and Halifax said he would give the difficulties a great deal of thought.
March 10th 1938. Frank Walters has had a talk with Lord Halifax, the new Foreign Secretary, in London, on the question of the British attitude towards the League. Halifax said that Chamberlain's speech of the 22nd of February had been greatly misinterpreted but that that misinterpretation was general; he added that a paragraph would appear in the speech to be made on the 7th of March in the House of Commons, which would restate the position more clearly. Walters pointed out that since 36 when the sanctions policy was declared to have failed, the British were supposed to be endeavouring to maintain and rebuild the League taking into account the change which might be necessary in connection with the theory and practice of sanctions; they argued that British armament was a contribution to collective security and since that time the League position had been somewhat improved. Walters said to Halifax that the Prime Minister's speech had upset all that patient work and it would be difficult to convince Members of the League that its maintainance was still a cardinal point of British policy, if in the British conversations with Italy the attitude of Italy towards the League was left out of consideration, that would be regarded as confirming the view that London was indifferent to the fate of the League or looked at it, if not with indifference, at any rate with nothing more than inactive benevolence and now they were proposing to ask the Council at the next session - if agreement with Italy has been reached - flatly to approve of British recognition of Abyssinia. Several members of the League right hand side
English Translation
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