The Press. Wednesday, January 29, 1919. The League of Nations.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16433, 29 January 1919, Page 6

The Press. Wednesday, January 29, 1919. The League of Nations.

The telegrams which are reaching us from Paris regarding tho Peace Conference are neither so full nor so clear as might be desired. Judging from tho official telegram sent through tho High Commissioner, it would seem as though the question as to whether Sir Joseph Ward should or should not be allowed to take a soat at tho Conference is tho subject of the most vital interest to tho people of New Zealand. This, however, is not tho case. "Whether New Zealand has two representatives or one, her voting power would remain tho samo, and tho strugglo to get a sccond - representative included is merely placing Now Zealand in a somewhat undignified -position. Far moro important is tho disposition of the German colonies in the Pacific. On that depends, to a very large extent, the whole quostion of our future socurity. The proposed League of Nations, so far as it has been sketched out, seems to us a combination of the Imperial Conference with the Hague Convention. There is not the slightest chance of sotting up a body which shall have tho power of limiting armaments and enforcing peace. Nevertheless, use!ill work might bo done by a Conference of the Powers represented at tho Peace Congress, meeting regularly, and with

a permanent organisation and secretariat to carry (>n work between conierencos. Possibly an International Court might- I>© set up for the purpose of settling sncb disputes between nations as aro 4 'justiciable." but it is evidently recognised by the leading Powers that t/iero are, and always will In-, disputes which are not "justiciable, and f.hat when these arisa thoy will neccssan.lv be settled in tho old way by forc<- of arm?. Inasmuch, however, as international jealousies ,'.nd misunderstandings are apt to amo from mutual ignorance, and might often lie cleared away by it.ink cxjjlannt.'oiis. thero it? reason to bom ve ti uit the creation of such a

T.eiutic jis is now proposed may do good. .Minor misnnderstand.Vgs may certainfy br- removed by conferences of t:i:s k/itd. Any attempt to invest tho League with a sort of super-sover-eign!// over the Powers will, wo fear, be a. fatal nii-stake. AVe look with some ni:s;.iving on the proposal to noutralise " a'.erways and railways, and vest the co* iti'ol m tho Lengiie. Tlio suggestion Hull the (Jorman colonies should be i;rcaf.e-.l in the same way is fraught with ' most lriiscliirvoiis tendencies, and should iio strenuously resisted bv the

British representatives. For once, we agree with Mr Hughes, when he saj's that il you neutralise Now Guinea you might as well neutralise Australia. In like manner to neutraliso Samoa would certainly keep alive among tho poople of this Dominion the apprehension of possible peril from that quarter. Of coursii, if New Guinea and Samoa aro administered by Croat Britain as mandatory of tho 1 league, tho position so far ns the security of these Dominions is ccincorned, will be improved, but we do ;iot believe that such an arrangcmeij i will bo best for tho possessions to be taken over, or that it will conduce to the poace of tho world. On tho contrary, British capital on tho one hand would not bo invested so freely in tho ii lands as if they wero entirely under Tiritish control, while on the other hand •any attempt on tho part of the League to interfere with British administration of tho islands, especially in a way cal- . cu'.atcd to prejudice the interests of Australia or New Zealand, would undoubtedly lead to friction. Now Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago, and Samoa aro clearly within , tho sphere of legitimate British influence, and havo boon taken by British arms* That being so, we say tho fact should be openly and frankly acknowledged by handing over the colonies to Great Britain. Any attempt to ''camouflage" tho can only lead to trouble in future.