DR CONDLIFFE’S TOUR

Hokitika Guardian, 18 September 1930, Page 7

DR CONDLIFFE’S TOUR

VISIT TO RUSSIA

LONDON, Aug. 8. Dr J. B. Oondliffe returned to London last week after visiting Paris, Geneva and Moscow in connexion with the work of the Institute of Pacific Relations, of which he is Research Secretary. The Institute holds biennial conferences which are attended by members of its groups in various Pacific countries and in several European countries which have Pacific possessions. The report of-the last conference, edited by Dr. Oondiiffe, has

lately appeared as a substantial book published by the University of Chicago Press. The exact date and place of the next conference are not fixed, but it will be. held somewhere in China during 1931. Dr CondJiffe’s visit to Europe was for the purpose of consulting with the Institute groups here regarding research preparation for this and subsequent conference.

Two of Dr. Condliffe’s assistants in the research activities of the Institute are New Zealanders also. Mr F. M. Keesing, of Auckland, has just undertaken the direction of a research project on the problems of government and economic development in Pacific dependencies, and in pursuance of this project is visiting Australia and New Zealand before going on to the Philippines and the Dutch Eant Indies, He has already secured the cooperation of groups in Hawaii and Fiji, while Dr. Condliffe himse'f has arranged co-operation with the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London and with the research departments of the League of Nations and International Labour office at Geneva. The other New Zealander is Mr W. L. Holland, of Christchurch, who is going almost immediately to Japan and China to assist in the research preparations of the conference. Dr Grin d I iffe is returning on August 20th to the University of .Michigan, where he has accepted an appointment as visiting Pvofesisor of Economics for the next academic year. He will conduct ' post graduate courses in international economic relations and maintain general supervision over the research programme of the Institute of Pacific Relations, which lias now attained considerable proportions, but is decentralised and devolved on different universities and research institutions. Dr Condliffe’s residence next year in America will enable him to keep in close touch also with the American . and Canadian groups of the Institute,

Aflkecl concerning his visit to Europe, Dr Condi Hit explained .that after nonsuiting' with the officers of the Royal Institute of Interiitttioli&l Affairs ill regard to British participa= tion iii the nest conference, he attended a conference ftt Paris called by the Institute of Intellectual Cooperation, which is one activity of the League of Nations. The conference was a meeting of executive officerjs of institutions which have been established in many countries for the scientific study of international relations, and was devoted to technical discussions of such subjects ajs methods of research, exchange of information, bibliographies, and dictionaries of political terms. About twenty delegates took part; mainly from European countries, and one effect of Dr Condiiffe’s attendance wais a consideration of invitations to institutions in non-European lands. In Paris also Dr Condliffe met the .leaders of the group which is being formed to establish French co-opera-tion. His first visit to Geneva was devoted mainly to detailed discussion with members of the League Secretariat and the M.L.O. staff, of /the best method of co-operation between them and the I.P.R. After his return from Moscow lie had a series of lecture engagements to fulfil. The vijsit to Moscow was for the same kind of purpose. A group of academic and research people in Moscow is ready for co-operation with the I.P.R. as soon .as the necessary consent of the Government, is obtained. The Pacific Council of the I.P.R. extended an invitation four years ago which still holds g,ood. If this invitation is accepted the Russian group would come as observers exactly as the first British group came to tire 1927 conference at Honolulu. The terms of co-operation would then be decided by discussion at the conference. After meeting (several of the leading officials, including M. Litvinoff, who has since been appointed Commissioner or Foreign Affairs, Dr ■Condliffe felt that the permission of the Government would .probably be forthcoming within the next two or throe months.