LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 September 1922, Page 1

LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

IUSTRALTAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION REFUGEE RELIEF. GENEVA, Sept 19. The Assembly placed at Dr Nansen’s disposal one hundred thousand francs for the relief of refugees in the Near East until the League lias time to appeal to tli& public and Governments for funds. After hearing the Islam representatives, the Assembly referred to the commission on Asia Minor to enquire in connection with the latest massacres, and take measures to prevent reprisals. Both the Angora Assembly and Persia intimated agreement in regard to an enquiry. THE SAMOA MANDATE. GENEVA, September 19. The Australian Press Association’s Geneva correspondent states; Sir F. Bell on behalf of his Government denied the right of the Mandates Commission to interpret for New Zealand the meaning of the covenant, or dictate to her the procedure for carrying out the mandates.

LEAGUE IGNORED. GENEVA, September 19. • Something like a sensation was created 1 by Sir F. Bell’s denial of any right, on the part of the Permanent League Mandates Commission to interpret for New Zealand the meaning of the League Covenant under which New Zealand exercises her mandate over Samoa, or to dictate any procedure thnt New Zealand should adopt in carrying out her duties.

This declaration was made when the Committee presented the report of the Permanent Mandates Commission. The report had been amended in certain important particulars, with the concurrence of the Australian and New Zealand delegates.

Neither side takes exception to the report in its new form, but there was some plain speaking, both in defence of the Permanent Mandates Commission, and in criticism of its methods. Dr Nansen moved the adoption of the report. He thanked the Mandatory Powers for the way they had carried out the work. On the other hand, he said that the Julies of the Mandates Commission were not always pleasant If the Commission always was complimcnlary. it would not he of much use. Tt must he critical, when criticism becomes necessary.

■Madame Anna Wicksell. a Swedish Member of the Mandates Commission, blamed the Australian Government for not furnishing fuller information to the League in the first instance; instead of leaving it to he dragged out of the Australian High Commissioner at the last moments and only after its own work was finished. Madame Wicksell added:—“lf we feel it our duty to he watchful, as we have to safeguard the interests of those men and women who are not capable of defending themselves—we must Took noth their eyes, and must feel with their hearts, and sometimes their eyes and hearts are suspicious.”

FRENCH ATTITUDE UNCHANGED. PARTS, September 19. Lord Curzon (British Foreign Minister) sees M. Poincaire on Wednesday. It is announced that though the French Cabinet has supported the. withdrawal of the French troops from Chanak, it is only due to Hemal’s assurance tlia the would not attack Gallipoli. One high French authority states that if Hemal places a- foot in the neutral zone, it will not he tolerated. He says French public opinion is utterly hostile to any military action, but one section of the public is asking if the British action is attributable to fuller information regarding Soviet co-opera-tion with the Kemalists than France possesses.

Sir F. Bell followed. He paid a tribute to the Mandates Commission’s care and impartiality. He pointed out that Now Zealand had a dual obligation, firstly, as a member of the League; and secondly, as n mandatory

Tn defining the legal position, Sir F. Bell said, that if His Majesty, in the right of liis dominion of New Zealand, had accepted the mandate for Western Samoa, what His Majesty did in the right of liis dominion, he did on the advice of his Minister in that dominion : and not on that of the Ministers of Britain. He said—“ The statement which I present is one which tlj,o Government of New Zealand very respectfully, lnit verv urgently, presents to this Assembly.” The New Zealand Parliament, he said, legislated for Western Samoa and its Administrator ruled and administered those laws. New Zealand was under an honourable obligation to legislate and administer in accordance with the terms and intentions of the Covenant of the League of Nations. She was willing and anxious to receive suggestions and advice from either the Permanent Mandates Commission or the Council of the League, “hut,” he declared, “she cannot admit tile Commission’s power to interpret for her the meaning of the Covenant, or to dictate what procedure New Zealand should adopt in its endeavours to perform duties under the League.” Sir F. Bell went on to offer two objections to the present procedure. Firstly, he said, the report of the Mandates Commission should he to the Council (big six) and not to the public. New Zealand, he said, had nothing to fear from an investigation, and she courted the fullest enquiry, but New Zealanders did not court or desire opinions upon tbeir laws and tlieir administration from anybody other than the League Council or the Assembly. The Council must necessarily require from its Mandates Commission the freest, statement of its investigation, but if such report were published, it could not fail to give offence to the Mandatory Legislature and Governmeat.

TTi s second objection* was that, os the Mandatory Powers were not represepted on either the Council or the Mandates Commission, their delegates in the Assembly should have the light t 0 require that the opinions and objections of the Mandates Commission should be reported to the Assembly, where its Mandatory Powers possessed re Sir S F *Belfcontinued that the right

o'l* a Mandatory Power whose legislation or administration might he under consideration,■ to appeal from adverse continent, should he definitely established. “Tiie men* right of audience is wholly insufficient,” lie said. “Wo require to govern, and we must govern to the host oi our ability. We require to legislate, and wo must left's!:itc in accordance with Ilie careful exercise of our -own discretion.”