Date: 6 July 1932
Location: Geneva
Speaker: Aga Khan III
Source: Speeches of Aga Khan III – K K Aziz
Full Text
India and Turkey – both countries will promote world peace.
I am most happy to support the draft resolution on behalf of the delegation of India. The history of India has been linked for countless centuries with that of Turkey, sometimes in the clash of rivalry, but more often with ties of culture and friendship. We rejoice that these are now to be given lasting form in common membership of the world organisation for peace and goodwill.
There is a saying that those who have fought each other hardest make the best friends. We are proving the truth of that saying.
We are happy to claim that no bitterness has been left, but rather a feeling of mutual respect on which true friendship can most surely be built.
India thus gives Turkey a triple welcome to the League – as age-long neighbours and co-operators in culture and civilisation, as recent opponents, and now we can say, with confidence, as life-long friends. We hope to march forward together as firm allies in the cause of world peace.
Source: League of Nations Official Journal, Special Supplement No. 102: Records of the Special Session of the Assembly Convened in Virtue of Article 15 of the Covenant at the Request of the Chinese Government, Vol. 2, Geneva, 1932, p. 3.
The draft resolution supporting the candidature of Turkey was submitted by Spain and supported by several countries. Its text and sponsors were the following:
ENTRY OF THE TURKISH REPUBLIC INTO THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS:
ADOPTION OF THE DRAFT RESOLUTION PROPOSED BY THE DELECATIONS OF ALBANIA, AUSTRALIA,AUSTRIA, THE UNITED KINGDOM, BULGARIA, COLOMBIA, CUBA, CZECHOSLOVAKIA, DENMARK, ESTONIA, FINLAND, FRANCE, GERMANY, GREECE, GUATEMALA, HUNGARY, ITALY, JAPAN, LATVIA, NETHERLANDS, NEW ZEALAND, PANAMA, PERSIA, POLAND, RUMANIA, SPAIN, SWEDEN, SWITZER LAND, AND YUGOSLAVIA.
The President:
Translation: You will remember that, at our previous meeting on July 1st, the Assembly decided to place on the agenda of its special session a draft resolution submitted by the Spanish delegation, and supported by several other delegations, proposing that the Turkish Republic be invited to become a Member of the League of Nations.
The text of that resolution is as follows: “The delegations of Albania, Australia, Austria, the United Kingdom, Bul garia, Colombia, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Italy,Japan, Latvia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Panama, Persia, Poland, Rumania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Yugoslavia, “Recognising that the Turkish Republic fulfils the general conditions laid down in Article I of the Covenant for a State to become a Member of ·the League of Nations: “Proposes to the Assembly that the Turkish Republic should be invited to enter the League of Nations and give it the benefit of its valuable co operation.”
In conformity with the decision taken at its last meeting, the Assembly is called upon to examine this proposal.
The Rules of Procedure of the Assembly provide that: “The Assembly may, in exceptional circumstances, place additional items on the agenda … “
In virtue of this provision, you decided last week to place this proposal on the agenda of the present session. Paragraph 4 of Rule 4 continues as follows: “But all consideration of such items shall, unless otherwise ordered by a two thirds majority of the Assembly, be postponed until four days after they have been placed on the agenda, and until a committee has reported upon them.”
In the first place, therefore, we must know whether the Assembly consents, by a two-thirds majority, to study the proposal immediately, without referring it to a committee for a report.
Since no one objects to this proposal, I consider it adopted unanimously.
The proposal was adopted.
The session was presided over by M. Hymans. The first speaker was Sir Granville Ryrie of Australia who was followed by M. Gwiazdowski of Poland, the Aga Khan of India, Lester of the Irish Free State, M. Pflugl of Austria, M. Dupre of Canada, and M. Restrepo of Colombia. The meeting lasted from IO to 11.35 a.m.