W.E.A.

Putaruru Press, Volume VII, Issue 290, 30 May 1929, Page 5

W.E.A.

LEAGUE OF NATIONS. Address by Mr. Stephens. Following on the formation of a branch of the W.E.A. at Putaruru Mr. F. B. Stephens, B. Com., gave an intensely-interesting lecture on the League of Nations. In the course cf the lecture Mr. Stephens said that probably ail knew that it had to do with the question of international □peace. The idea of a league of this nature was not new, for at the end of the Napoleonic wars Alexandra (the mystic of Russia) decided that

the finest thing possible would be for the kings of Europe to unite, thus forming the Holy Alliance, which, however, soon broke down, and Europe became two armed camps. It was not till after the Great War that people began to - ask if there were not better ways of settling disputes, but it was not Woodrow Wilson who was the father of the idea, but Lord Phillimore, who suggested the idea in a journal, and Lord Hugh Cecil, who worked the scheme for world peace. Wilson adopted the noble lords’ idea and made it the last of his famous 14 points. In signing the Peace Treaty the Allies guaranteed 'to form the League of Nations. The first members ware the 31 Allies who defeated the Germanic forces. The League’s membership now included the 31 signatories. 13 neutrals and 15 other countries. The machinery consisted of the Assembly, which compares to Parliament, the Council, compared to the Cabinet, the Secretariat, having as its counterpart the Civil Service. In addition to securing the reduction of armaments and the promotion of international peace the League dealt with a host of problems, such as the Red Cross, Postal "Union, control of the drug traffic, "laheur. health and other questions. Under the League all treaties have to be published, thus abolishing secret diplomacy, a source of many • evils. The guarantee of the publication of treaties by its members was • one of the greatest achievements of the League. All have one vote in the League of Nations. Each Government has three representatives and three substitute representatives on the League. The General Assembly of the League is for the purpose of the •expression of public opinion, the real power being the Council of 11 mop-i----bers. In questions of international strife the decisions of the Council Lave to be unanimous. English ana French are the official languages of the League., The members of the secretariat are drawn from every nation so as to be as international in character as possible. New Zealand contributed £IOOO a year towards the League out of .a sum exceeding a million pounds. The International Labour Office -was often confused with the League. It is not a child of the League, but was created by the Peace Treaty, ,;ind also it was not to be confused -with the Third International ot Labour. The Government has two representatives on the Labour Office, the employers one and labour one. .All the signatories to the Treaty sfaid they would support the Labour (Office, and it remained for New Zealand, who boasted of her advanced legislation, to refuse to fulfil her obligations in this respect. Probably the fact that the conditions of labour "in New Zealand were so good led -the Dominion to act thus, but the Labour Office had done good work in improving the labour conditions in countries where the conditions were far from satisfactory. The Court of Inte’-natibnal Justice was a creation •of the League. To ’ supervise the mandates was one of ■ the important works of the League. After the war the question arose as to what was to be done with the ex-enemv countries, and General Smuts, of South Africa, held that these lands should be mandated. Yearly the mandatory powers have to submit reports on the mandates. General Richardson and Sir James Farr were thoroughly pulled to pieces by the League when the former submitted the New Zealand Government's report. The examination was no "sinecure, and as a result the League notified General Richi -ardson’s administration of Samoa. In conclusion Mr. Stephens said that all were responsible for the work of the league, for democracy functions by the outlook of the weak-

est of its members, and all should :seek to put down international hate. (Aoplause.l In the discussion that followed it ' was revealed that the audience had followed the lecture closely. In reply to Mr. Roue the lecturer said the reason for New Zealand’s non-entry into the International Labour Conference was financial diffiv' v vote of thanlcs was accorded Mr. Stephens for his interesting add-ess.