PEACE IN PACIFIC

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 597, 25 February 1929, Page 14

PEACE IN PACIFIC

AIMS OF INSTITUTE DR. CONDLIFFE’S WORK Research work for the International Institute of Pacific Relations is responsible for the arrival in Auckland by the Aorangi yesterday cf Dr. J. B. Condliffe, research secretary of the institute. Once Professor of Economics at the Canterbury University College, Dr. Condliffe has held his present position for two years with headquarters in Honolulu. He is visiting the Australian and New Zealand groups of the institute and will spend some time at the universities to arrange for the preparation of reserach work for the conference which is to be held at Kioto, Japan. “At this conference,” said Air. Condliffe yesterday, “there will be between ISO and 2 00 delegates from almost every nation with a Pacific coast line. The United States, Canada, Japan, China, Korea, Hawaii, the Phiilipine Islands, Australia and New Zealand will all bo represented, and delegates from Great Britain, Russia, the League of Nations staff and the International Labour Office will be present as observers. A newly-formed French group with headquarters in Paris will also send delegates. If Russia finds that she can co-operate with other members of the institute she will probably form a separate branch in Moscow. Alter the last confrence the Royal Institute of International Affairs agreed to act as the British unit of our institute.” According to Dr. Condliffe, the agenda for the next conference was almost completed, after being discussed by the various groups for two years. The most interesting subject would probably be the Alanchurian situtaion, over which relations beween China and Japan were decidedly strained. Manchuria was a land of vast possibilities. In 1926 it produced three times New Zealand's wheat yield, a total of 18,000,000 bushels. Its industrial progress was remarkable and in 1927 it had absorbed more than 1,000,000 immigrants. Coal and iron were present in satisfactory quantities. Three lines of railways traversed tlie country—Russia from the the north; Japanese from the east and Chinese from the south-east. The Chinese regarded Alanchuria as part of their Empire, and the Japanese considered that the country owed its development to the utilisation of Japanese capital. Dr. Condliffa hoped that the fact of representatives of the opposing facitons amicably discussing the situation at the conference w r ould do much to relieve the tension. The effect of the last conference had been greatly to improve relations between Great Britain and China, and, as a result, at the invitation of Chinese delegates, Sir Frederick White had gone on a visit to China, where he had remained ever since. SUBJECTS FOR RESEARCH Other problems to be discussed in November were questions of food and population; the present Chinese situation; industrialisation; international trade and foreign investment; the government of Pacific dependencies and cultiixal relations. They were all subjects in connection with which considerable research work was being done at the universities. The New Zealand section placed problems of food and population and the Chinese situation first in order of importance and considered the discussion of Pacific dependencies a minor part of the programme. It was not probable that the Samoan question would be considered at any great length. The League of Nations Secretariat was also engaged in research work and papers on economic questions were being prepared by Sir Arthur Salter.

The Pacific Council, which was the governing body ofthe insitute, was to meet before the conference at a small town just outside Kioto. The council consisted of the chairmen of the different branches, Sir James Allen being New Zealand’s representative. Dr. G. H. Scholefield was secretary of the New Zealand branch. Mr. Junnosuke Inosye would be chairman of the conference, assisted by Dr. Inaho Nitobe, who was Japanese Under- Secretary to the League of Nations for the first term of seven years. INSTITUTE STAFF Dr. Condliffe explained the organisation of the institute, which maintained a staff of 26 in Honolulu. The general secretary was an American, Air. J. Alerle Davis, -who had spent most of his life in Japan and who had visited New Zealand in 1926. There was a Chinese Under-Secretary, Dr. Hawkling Yen, and the appointment of a Japanese colleague was pending. There were also a conference secretary and librarian. The latest appointment was that of an American journalist. Air. Chester H. Rowell, who would be information secretary and would take charge of reporting the conference. The reports of the last conference, which Dr. Condliffe had edited, had been incorporated in a volme of over 600 pages and had enjoyed a good sale in America. Dr. Condliffe mentioned that a substantial gift from an American source was to be used for studying the food, labour, housing and population questions of the East. All the problems rising from the recent industrial revolution were awaiting solution. “The institute stands for no propaganda,” concluded Mr. Condliffe. “It has no official standing and is purely educational. It exists to facilitate the exchange of information between students of the different Pacific countries.” In the course of his duties as research secretary, Dr. Condliffe has, during the last two years, visited Canada and the United States twice and spent six months in China and Japan. , , _ Dr. Condliffe will be the guest of Professor H. Belshaw, of Auckland University, during a short stay in Auckland.