LEAGUE OF NATIONS

Southland Times, Issue 21098, 2 June 1930, Page 4

LEAGUE OF NATIONS

LOCAL COUNCIL MEETS. The fortnightly meeting of the local branch of the League of Nations Union was held on Friday last in the Education Board room. The following were present: Mr William Macalister (president), Mrs Corkill, Messrs C. A. Stewart, A. E. Featherstone, T. S. Tomlinson, George Featherstone, C. R. S. Barrett, and A. J. Deaker (secretary). A number of visitors were present by invitation, while apologies for absence were received from Dr Uttley and Mr L. Alsweiler.

It was reported that the introductory address on the League had been broadcast from 4ZP by the president and that the weekly lectures w'ould be continued by Mr A. E. Featherstone. „ A number of remits to be brought before the Dominion Conference were considered. The Wellington remit: “That the Government be urged to remove the compulsory Military Training Act from the Statute Book” waS the subject of a short discussion. It was finally resolved to instruct the Invercargill delegate to request that the remit be tvithdrawn.

Mr A. E. Featherstone was appointed as representative at the Dominion Conference to be held at Timaru from June 11 to 13.

At the conclusion of the ordinary business Mr Macalister gave an address on the Permanent Court of International Justice. In the course of his remarks he explained that the Court was open to every country in the world. Every decision of the Court was only a decision in that particular case, and did not create a binding precedent. A great many of the member States of the League had signed the optional clause in the Statute of the Court; by doing this they had undertaken in advance to submit to the Court any legal dispute concerning any of the following subjects: (a) the interpretation of a treaty; (b) any question of international law; (c) the existence of any fact which would constitute a breach of international obligations; (d) the nature and extent of reparations. The Permanent Court differed from The Hague Court of Arbitration set up in 1899 in that the former is a permanent court, while the other was called only if parties agreed to use it. The Permanent Court had a bench of judges capable of giving a decision, while the earlier court was essentially an arbitration court.

An interesting discussion followed on the Permanent Court, and it was decided that at the next meeting on June 13 a discussion should take place on the “Historical Background of the League.”