LEAGUE OF NATIONS UNION

Evening Star, Issue 22452, 24 September 1936, Page 17

LEAGUE OF NATIONS UNION

The Otago Council met on Tuesday evening, when matters of considerable interest were before the members. _ '■ Refercnce was made to the recent loss of one of the earliest foundation members of the branch, Mr H. K. -Wilkinson. From the inception of the League of Nations Union in 1921 Mr Wilkinson had been a. staunch and generous supporter, even up to the prcsent month. At the request of the chairman members stood in silence. The council is indebted to Miss .Kelsey for an interesting fact of past political history—that as far back us 1900 Campbell-Bannerman, then Prime Mmister in JRnglsuul, addressing the House of Commons, sketched a world coordination closely resembling the - League of Nations as propounded by President Woodrow Wilson in 1920. The secretary (Mrs Denton Leech) was asked to report on the Dominion conference held in Wellington this month. Of the 18 branches of the union in New Zealand 15 were represented. The Dominion president was Professor F. L. W. Wood, now occupying the chair of history in the Victoria University College, Wellington. Mr Thomas Todd (Gisborne) addressed the gathering on the ideal of a United States of Europe. Mr W. <L Scott (late of Timaru) contributed a paper on strengthening the Covenant by the formation within the League of an equity tribunal backed by an international air police force. Strong support was forthcoming from several branches that the New Zealand League of Nations Union should join the International Federation of League of Nations Societies, which meets annually in Europe. This year the congress was held in Glasgow, when delegations attended from 25 countries, some of which were at present outside the League. This congress was the nearest approach to the voice of the people as expressed in the resolutions adopted—that was, as apart from the Governments. The resolutions were conveyed by the president in person to the Secretary-General of the League, and by him submitted to the Assembly. Referring to the New Zealand Government’s memoran- ; dum to the League of Nations, Mr H. P. Kidson moved that a letter be sent to the Prime Minister commending and thanking the Government for its statement of policy.