LEAGUE OF NATIONS

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 128, 28 February 1928, Page 6

LEAGUE OF NATIONS

SOME SIDELIGHTS AN INTERESTING LECTURE Under the auspices of Hie local branch of the League of Nations Union, Mr. J. V. Wilson, who was private secretary to Sir Uric Drummond (the head of the Geneva Secretariat), delivered a lecture at the Town Hall last night on "Some Recent Developments of the League of Nations.” There was only a fair attendance, some sixty per cent, of those present being ladies. The speaker was introduced by the chairman tiie Rev. James Gibb. The League, lie said, which had a remarkable career, was still on its trial as far as the peace of the world was concerned. Tiie present was a crisis in its affairs—it was an intensely critical time indeed so it should be their duty to stand shoulder to shoulder with the League, and bestir in ourselves and others the desire to bring about this disarmament scheme which in turn should bring about the peace of the world. “A Long Story to Tell.” Mr. Wilson said it was a long story to tell all the League had done, that could only be obtained by reading the literature of the League. He only wished to touch on one or two points. For instance, the changing attitude of the nations concerned. If anyone had travelled in Germany as late as two years ago, and had mentioned the League, they probably would have heard nothing but terms of contempt applied to the League of Nations But Germany had since come into the League, and the manner of her coming in was significant. The United States had undergone a change. It was now associated with all non-political debeen tile change of attitude on the tent that it might almost be a full member of the League. He mentioned that a great deal of financial assistance had come from America, notably towards its health work, which had been subsidised by the Rockefeller Foundation; the Social Hygiene Bureau of Washington had also contributed funds, and Mr. Rockefeller had also endowed a first-class library. Latest of all had been the change ofz attitude on the part of the Soviet Republic, which had held the League in such supreme contempt, even to the addressing correspondence to “The Secretary of the So-called League of Nations.” During the past rear tiie Soviet Republic had sent two large delegations to Geneva, one under M. Titcherin, to the Economic Conference. So it would seem that the nations were being drawn into the League almost against their wills because of the variety and importance of tiie subjects the League was dealing with. Settling Matters of Moment. Mr. Wilson referred to the codification of international law (an American move), tiie liberation of enslaved people at Sierra Leone, arid an interesting conference on malaria. The affair between Lithuania and Poland bore a reflection of the influence of the League. Then there was the meeting at Paris three days after the GrecoBulgarian trouble began. It ordered an immediate inquiry, the result of which was that Greece had to pay a certain amount to settle the affair. This prompt action on the part of the Council drew the attention of other nations, a line of action which brought about a proposed system of aeroplane travel and wireless, so that members of the council could be assembled in the least possible period of time. The Great Powers were less anxious to place their troubles before the League than the smaller ones. There was a case in point reported in the Press this week. That was to say, a greater Power could stave off an appeal to the Council longer than a small one by the exercise of diplomacy. People, however, were beginning to realise that through the League there was a greater chance of disarmament. There was not likely to be anything dramatic about this, as it would call for the exercise of the protocol or some such big scheme, but the means were available in the League to bring about a conference with a view to arranging matters in dispute ; and in that respect the latest news from Geneva was hopeful. Misunderstandings Cleared. Mr. Wilson said he would like to refer to certain misunderstandings as to how the League worked. He pointed out that there seemed to be a popular misconception in that regard, as many believed that it acted as a government, and that when a dispute arose between two countries, it treated one as gloriously in the right and the other gloriously in the wrong. Nor was it a court of justice. Most people would probably be disappointed at- the mild nature of the proceedings. Its decisions might appear to be inconclusive, but they usually effected an end. There was nothing very dramatic about the proceedings, except perhaps when a country chose to violate the covenant. In the case of governments large things were decided by majorities, and all things political were usually regarded in terms of a fight; but the methods of the League must always be different. A Parliament could settle almost anything from the time the sun rose to some involved point in theological doctrine, but theoretically that did not work in the Iveague. Indeed its methods w’ere such that some people thought that the League could not work and did not work—it worked on a general process of accommodation. There was, for instance, hardly anv voting in the League, usually voting was only on matters of procedure. In all matters it worked for unanimity bv means of accommodation and conciliation. An entirely new set of rules had to be evolved that could not possibly prevail in any Parliament. The League achieved its aim progressively. It could not, perhaps, secure a 100 per cent, feeling, one wav or another, but it was working to achieve general peace, though it could not prophecy that such peace will come. It largely depended for its ultimate success on the force of goodwill and the attitude of mind on the part of the people in their desire for peace. (Applause.) At the conclusion of the address, some knottv questions were asked bv the chairman, and were diplomatically answered. After the exhibition of some slides illustrating some phases of the widespread work of the League, a heartv vote of thanks was passed on the motion of Mr P J O’Reean In doing so, he said that he was sure most of them now knew a little more about the Leamte than thev had before they came It might be disannnintiii" to some that the League could not ■ettle everv dispute out of hand but its work was progressive. It was -ainino strcimth am’ with tlvt sfreirntb it was gaining prestige. They were all he.artilv indebted to Mr. Wilson for his address.

HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE. Now in their third week at his Majesty’s Theatre, Joe Brennan and his revue company are ever growing more popular. “Laughing Time," their current presentation is another merry concoction of good things. Joe Brennan shines especially well this week, and ah tlie uerve-shatterei! man in the green light, as Terry Kemble, the actor in the farce, “All the World’s a Stage," anil as the idiot boy in another sketch, he proves what a talented actor be really is. “Dismal" Desmond is again popular am! is at his best in "A Sad Tale of a Dog,” ami Gus Dawson provides several dancing interlu les. besides appearing in sketches. Mr. George Corelli's tine tenor voice is heard in “Mary of Argyle" and the pretty scena “A Flower from an Old Bouquet." Muriel Wilton, the young Wellington dancer, again scores heavily, as <Io Peggy Sharpe and Dell Barnes, while the sprightly ballet of six help to make tilings go with a swing. QUEEN’S TITJA THE. Starring George O’Brien. supported by Virginia Valli, J. Farrell McDonald. June Collyer, and Holmes Herbert, “East Side, West Side," Fox Films’ screen version of Felix Riesenbcrg’s powerful story, is Ihe big attraction now offering at the Queen’s Theatre All of New York’s celebrated sections have a part in the storv, the Bowery, East Side. West Side. Hell's Kitchen, the Gas House district. Red Hook Point, the Bronx, Washington Haights. Park and Fifth Avenue. H tells of a youth Lorn on an East River barge, who rises through sheer grit, first to become a Ghetto prize tighter, Intel an engineer. Thorn is a sequence showim> the sinking of the Titanic which is one of the finest things ever done on the screen. Tn sunporf are a gazette, and side-splitting Max ami Moritz comedy, while appropriate incidental music is also supplied.