DOMINION INFLUENCE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 48, Issue 80, 14 January 1928, Page 3

DOMINION INFLUENCE

NEW ZEALAND AND THE LEAGUE During a stay extending over some eight months in New Zealand, one of my chief interests has been to inquire into the attitude of this most distant of the Dominions to the League and its policy, writes Professor A. J. Grant, of Leeds University, in "Headway," the official organ of the League of Nations. New Zealand is in every way extremely English and there is, I think, no very marked difference between feeling there and feeling at Home. I have tried in vain to discover any decided opposition. I spoke once to the "Canterbury Officers Club" on the subject. Wei had a pleasant discussion, but there was no outspoken disapproval of the League. I have encountered on several occasions the feeling that the initiative in international affairs must lie with Great Britain, and that New Zealand can but follow her lead. I have always urged that the influence of the Dominions on the policy of the Mother Country is now so o-reat that it is of the utmost importance that New Zealand should express herself favourable to a courageous and thorough application of a League policy. I have spoken on various occasions about the League and its work jnere are some commonplaces which have to be repeated constantly: that the League has not set up any superState: that the idea of the British Fleet being ordered about by a group of rival or even of enemy powers is the nightmare of people who have not read the Covenant; that the League is not an institution for interfering in every dispute and settling everything right the world over. But audiences generally are as well-informed as those of the Mother Country. The most interesting opportunity of co-operating in the work of the Dominion League of Nations Union presented itself when I was asked to take part in a deputation to the Houses* of Parliament and to urge on them the desirability of forming a non-party committee, such as exists at Westminster, for watching all that concerns the League. Professor I'isher, of Dunadin, the chairman of the union, and the Rev. Dr. Gibb, were the other speakers. There was a good attendance of members, and the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, was among them. It is believed that action will be taken in accordance with the sufi-o-estions of the deputation. There is much that is encouraging in New Zealand to those who accept the League programme for the organisation of a world order; but clearly also there is a wide opening for tne work of the union.