LEAGUE OF NATIONS.
GOOD WORK DONE EXTENDING ACTIVITY. EMBRACING EX-ENEMIES. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Ccpyrlght. London, Oct. 2. Mr. Justice Rich is most optimistic regarding the future of the League of Nations, which he confessed at first he regarded as an ideal that could not be accomplished, but the recent sittings had much solid achievement placed to their credit, such as the advance towards disarmament, the admission of Hungary, because the more countries admitted the better for the League, the assistance given Austria, and lastly the indication how the League intended to intervene where possible in international disputes, in connection with the action they took in the present Turkish trouble.
Mr. Justice Rich paid a warm tribute to the enthusiasm and sincerity of Lord Robert Cecil, which, combined with his complete legal training, set him among the most promising figures of the conference. He was also impressed with the grasp of public, diplomatic and political subjects shown by Ranjitsinhji. Sir Joseph Cook, interviewed, said he was of opinion that the League was already proving itself increasingly valuable. Though it was formed ostensibly to maintain a peace already made at Versailles it had had- to devote itself actually to making peace where none existed. The League had won its spurs already by its intervention in Upper Silesia. He believed the recent Assembly had been well worth while, if only for the steps taken for the rehabilitation of Austria. Without the League the various Powers would have haggled for an opportunity of helping Austria financially, but as payment for the help would have practically taken control, which would have tended to international discord and possibly war. The League could hardly take over the Near East situation at the present juncture, as no peace had been made with Turkey for the League to maintain, and there could not be two sets of negotiators operating simultaneously. He hoped eventually the contending nations would accept the British view and favor handing over control of the Straits to the League.
Mr. Justice Rich said that Germany should certainly be admitted to the League. Then, if America joined, the League would have sufficient moral influence without armed force to sit heavily on the head of any nation kicking over the traces. As judicial questions frequently cropped up he recommended that legal advisers should accompany the future Australian and New Zealand delegations. SIR JAS. ALLEN CRITICAL. Sir James Allen interviewed, comparing the first and second years of the League of Nations’ working, said he noticed this year some recrudescence of the super-Stafe idea, though in a modified form. An example of this was the suggestion that the League should control the Dardanelles, which was clearly impossible, unless the League had some of the functions of a State. The League was without an army or navy and if an attempt was made to force the Dardanelles it would be obliged to appeal .to some Powers to assist it to carry out its suggested responsibilities in connection with keeping the Straits open. In its technical organisation the League was tending to expand rather too rapidly. Many schemes were good in themselves, but the expense seemed more than the finances of the League at present justified.
The League also seemed to be becoming a receptacle for all the problems which the Powers could not usefully tackle. This tendency gave the League plenty of opportunities, and if it could manage to settle some of these difficulties it would certainly be a feather in the League’s cap.
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Taranaki Daily News, 4 October 1922, Page 5
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582LEAGUE OF NATIONS. Taranaki Daily News, 4 October 1922, Page 5
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