LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 September 1926, Page 2

LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

(Australia Ofc N.Z. Cable Association.} AIA ND A TED PEOP T--ES. GENEVA, September 21. A misehevious motion was moved by l)r Nansen. Virtually the motion was a retort to the League Council’s opinion that the Mandates Commission questionaire was inquisitorial. The motion led to a brisk discussion by the Sixth Commission. If it is carried. the motion will make this Commission a Court of Appeal from the League Council's decisions. During the debate, the representatives of the .Mandates Commission criticised the League Council, while Lord Cecil. Sir Latham and the South African delegate. Hon Air Smuts, defended the action of the League Council, in not acting on the Alandntes C ommission’s qucsLionairre till the mandatory governments should have had lull time to record their observations on it. M. Re J'ouveuel (France), fresh from the worries of Syria, bluntly declared that the .Mandates Commission’s policy had prolonged the war there by three 'months. Lord Cecil appealed to the Sixth Committee not to express any opinion, because, he said, no one was competent to do so till all the replies had been received from the mandatory powers. The debate was adjourned. GENEVA, September 22. Speaking’ to the Budget Commission Sir Joseph Cook (Australia) protested against what he termed the plethora fif proposed new money votes, and urged the necessity for closer control with a view to a stabilisation of the Budget. He said the inclusion of such votes was an invitation to spend them. He 'pointed out that the League Budget this year had jumped up another £IO,OOO. Air Silton Young strongly supported Sir J. Cook’s action, and, as a result the Supervisory Committee has undertaken to consider a tightening and systematising of control.

DOMINIONS AND COUNCIL. LONDON. September 21. The “Daily Telegraph” predicts that the question of the Dominions having a seat in the League of Nations Council will be a prominent issue at the Imperial Conference; The “ Daily Telegrap 1 '!. ” says editorially: “Although the Secretary of State for tne Dominions. Mr Ainerv, is sympathetic with the Dominions on this matter, another view has prevailed at the Foreign Office. Yet t h e wisdom of strengthening the British influence at Geneva should he apparent. The tragic farce of the present constitution of the League Council has deeply impressed all the Dominions. They see States whiOh are States in little more than name; invested with positions and powers which might have gone to a Dominion candidate, had there been forethought, consultation and serious intention on the part of Great Britain. Jt is not remarkable if the feeling in tiie Dominions has been wounded hv this indifference in the very quarter from which they might have expected whole-hearted support,”