THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 April 1920, Page 5

THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

DOMINION'S REPRESENTATIONS. IMPORTANT STATEMENT BY SIR JAMES ALLEN. Christchurch, April 20. Sir James Allen made an important statement with reference to the procedure to be adopted by the British Dominions in placing before the League of Nations their representations on matters coming within the jurisdiction, of the League. "New Zeaand, in accepting the inundate for Samoa," said Sir James Allen, "had lone a right and proper thing. It would not have been right to allow the Mother Country to shoulder all the troubles arising out of the readjustment of affairs under the Peace Treaty. In addition, New Zealand ought not to be self-centred. Certain responsibilities arose in connection with the mandate over Samoa with respect to the civil government of the islands. When the matter was first considered, it was thought that the method that should be adopted ought to be by legislation, and that the New Zealand Parliament should [ pass a Bill containing the constitution and other matters affecting the civil ad- ! ministration of Samoa, but when this suggestion was placed before the Imperial authorities, they advised that what was sought to be attained by legislation should be effected by an Imperial Order-in-Council, which in turn should be made, an Order-in-Council by the New Zealand Government. Out of this matter arose the question as to whether the British Dominions should not deal direct with the League of Nations, and not through the Mother Country. Some of the British Dominions desired to deal with the League direct, and New Zealand had been asked whether it desired to do so, or to transmit its representations to the League through the Mother Country before its representations were forwarded to the League.

SECRETARIAT IN LONDON. "New Zealand favored forwarding its representations to the League through the Mother Country, and it was suggested that there should be a Secretariat in London to deal with the representations from the British Dominions to the League, which would act as a sort of hearing-house, and to co-ordinate tlie representations of the British Dominion. Negotiations on the subject were still proceeding."

Sir James Allen expressed the opinion that for the time being and for a long time to come it was desirable that the Dominion's representations to the League should be made through the proposed Secretariat in London. The other procedure of independent representations by the Dominions direct to the League might lend to the Dominions separating from the Mother Country and 'becoming independent. lie realised the absolute necessity for the component parts of the Empire "sticking together." New Zealand favored the proposal that nil representations to the League of Nations should be made through the Mother Country.