The Daily News. THURSDAY, .TUNE 15, 1922. HUMANITARIAN WORK.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 June 1922, Page 4

The Daily News. THURSDAY, .TUNE 15, 1922. HUMANITARIAN WORK.

That the utility of the League of Nations is not confined to preserving peace, but is equally concerned in humanitarian and social questions, is evidenced by the work of its High Commissioner for Russian refugees (Dr. Nansen), as set forth in the summary for the month of March of the League’s operations. The stirring appeals made by Dr. Nansen on behalf of famished and disease stricken Russians have given prominence to the terrible conditions existing in that vast country, but the main task assigned to him by the League was to solve the problem of finding productive employment for a million and a half Russian refugees. The difficulties of such an undertaking, under the most favorable circumstances, and with the backing of financial aid. would have been very great, yet Dr. Nan- ' sen was provided with no funds ito enable him either to secure the ! consent of countries where there I was employment to be obtained, ' to receive farther number of refugees, or to organise productive employment on even a small scale. No wonder Dr. Nansen states that, ‘had he been furnished with even a small part of the funds that were disbursed by the interested. Governments in 1921 in maintaining these refugees by means of doles, the problem might have been solved quickly, thereby illustrating the French definition of charity—that it creates greater evils than it relieves. Having to fall back on the generosity of voluntary organisations, Dr. Nansen did his best to secure the dispersal of refugees from places where they were living in destitution to places where they could get employment, but the general economic depression gave little hope of work being found for the bulk of the refugees. Added to this almost Insuperable impediment to his good work. Dr. Nansen was faced, almost at the start, with an urgent problem of distress among refugees in Constantinople. Fortunately both the French Government and the American Red Cross agreed to continue their relief aid, yet there were still 25.000 refugees in Constantinople without visible means of support, three-fitfths of whom were in danger of starvation. Naturally. Dr. Nansen made special appeals, and succeeded in temporarily providing for the barest necessities. The main need however, was employment, and the only avenue seems to be bv way of the Balkan nations. Bulgaria offered to receive 20.000 lehildren from’the Volga area, but owing to difficulties it was ar- ' ranged that 5000 destitute chilidren from Constantinople should ' be received instead. Practical |sympathy, such as that shown bv Bulgaria in several ways towards Russian refugees, is a bright example to the other Balkan naItions. and it is gratifying to know I that the new nationalities, as well as the old, in that region have exhibited a commendable desire to aid in this emergency. “Few countries,” says Dr. Nansen, “have made greater sacrifices, or. shown a larger spirit of liberality,” thari the Serb-Croat-Slovene State authorities. This should augur well for the future of this new State. There can be no doubt that the humanitarian activities of the League of Nations are seriously hampered for lack of finance, yet despite this great drawback the League has, on the testimony of Dr. Nansen, already accomplished something of real importance by securing inter-govern-mental action, thus laying the foundation for further and more extensive work, and in various ways lightened the lot of the refugees. When Dr. Nansen’s report was before the Council, all

it could do was to forward the report, together with a report by Sir Samuel Hoare, to the Governments for their favorable consideration, with the result, that the British Government offered up to £lO,OOO by wqy of meeting half the entire sums contributed by other Governments to provide a permanent solution of the problem of evacuating the refugees to where they could obtain employment and sustenance. Probably, in the course of time, the resources of the League would be such as to meet emergencies of this and similar kinds, for there can be no question that humanitarian work is a universal obligation. Meanwhile the League can be relied noon to do all in its power and give every possible facility for dealing with national troubles that, if not alleviated, will end in disaster.