THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3649, 9 December 1920, Page 5

THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

THE ARMENIAN PROBLEM. LOAN PROM UNITED STATES. Received 10.20 a.m. WASHINGTON, Dec. 8. State Department officials estimate that a 15,000,000 dollars loan to Armenia would be adequate, and would receive President Wilson’s approval if appropriated by Congress.

ARTICLE TEN. REAL OBJECTION. Received 10.20 a.m. OTTAWA, Dec. 8. Mr Borden, in a published memorandum, declare® that Canada’s objection to Article Ten. is that she does not wish to involve herself m the preservation of the territorial independence of all members of the League. The undertaking to include in the Article seems to involve initially a careful survey, consideration and determination of all territorial questions between the various States, and even if such survey wore practicable, it would be impossible to fore.t the future.

THE GENEVA ASSEMBLY. * TECHNICAL 'ORGANISATIONS. Received 10.10 a.m. GENBV, Dec. 8. The Assembly received the report on the technical organisations of the League. The report recommended the creation of three technical organisations, the lirst dealing with economic and financial matters, wnlch will carry on the work of the Brussels Conference. The second deals with communications and transit, and the third with international health. 1 body is to have a standing committee at Geneva. 'The .report recommends the immediate summoning of a conference at Barcelona, to which the United States shall be invited. The draft scheme provides for the freedom of interantional transit. The report points out that it is the duty of the health organisation to devise a mole rapid interchange of information regarding the treatment of epidemics,. a?id to deal with sickness and injury of workers arising from their employment. In co-operation, the Labour Organisation and Health Committee are to meet in Paris annually. Mr Rowell took exception to the principles underlying these organisations, which sought to commit States to matters whereon they had neverbeen consulted. .The people of Canada were not prepared to take over any conditions which the European Committee sought to impose, because the European did not understand their viewpoint. Canada, much as she loved and respecter Britain, did not allow her to settle Canadian affairs; therefore how much less should we hand over questions contained in this report to European States. Who was it but European statesmen who it but European statesmen who"drenched the world with blood? 50,000 lives was the cost Canada paid for European statesmanship. Let Europe deal with her own transit and health problems, and let us see within a year what they could do with them. M. Hanotaux hotly combatted Mr Rowell’s remarks, declaring that Europe fought for the rest of the world and humanity. Objections like Mr Rowell’s should have been made at the time of the signing of the Covenant.

| Senator Millen strongly sympathised j wi tb Mr Rowell’s idea that these or- | ganisations would, he utterly useless I nules.si created by an International j Convention. M. Hanotaux was wrong j in blaming the Convenant. There was ; nothing wrong with the Covenant, | hut it was the interpretation that was | now sought to be placed upon It that was wrong. He objected to any at'-' i tempt to force the Commissionfs rej P or t upon the Assembly. The Tatter j mu st have the right of explaining | even adverse criticism upon it, when s it was shown that we were asked to | do something in direct conflict with j the Covenant. He thought they might create these organisations, but could not find a isingle State to contribute to their upkeep. Article 23 provided for this. It was pointed out that Article 6 provided that the expenses of the secretariat should he .borne by the League. He warned the Assembly that its members wore only committed to the expenses of the secretariat, ft would be o an unfortunate thing for the League if its members declined to contribute to the upkeep of the organisations whereon they were not consulted. There might be members* j of the Assembly w’ho were authorises to committ their countries fo the

heavy cost of such, organisations), but he could not. x Lord Robert Cecil agreed with much of Mr Rowell’s opposition. Ere thought the organisations should be experimental for a year until they could say how they worked. He supported Mr Rowell that no vote should at present be taken on the principle until the matter was more fully considered. There should also be a conference between those who held views like Mr Rowell and others) who thought differently* Mr Rowell subsequently withdrew any remarks thai might be considered to reflect on the statesmen cf European countries. He said he had merely wished to illustrate different viewpoints and what thrsa>>ined to be a jvarm debate cooled down. No vote was taken, and the Assembly adjourned pending a conference between M. Hanotaux, Mr Rowell, Senator Millen, and others.