LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 138, 12 June 1926, Page 14

LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

AUCKLAND BRANCH. ADMINISTRATION OF SAAB VALLEY. The speaker at yesterday's luncheon of the Auckland branch of the League of Nations Union was Mr. L. A. Mander, M.A., who dealt with the league's administration of the Saar Valley. The Saar Valley, said Mr. Mander, had a population'of three-quarters of a million, 70.000 of whom were coalminers, and the area of the valley was 700 square miles. In 1920 a commission of five representing the League of Nations took over the administration of the Saar Valley, but since then the representative of the French had resigned and his place was taken by a Canadian. In 1920 there was a strike among*! the miners, and the places of many German officials were taken by the French. An advisory council, comprising 30 members, was set up. In 1924 the "Times" criticised the administration, and one reason was because there were many thousands of French troops in what "is a German province. The second complaint was that the French schools were being utilised for teaching German children, and the Germans possibly hold that they are not receiving the* best education in attending French schools. The adoptior of the franc in the Saar Valley in 1923 caused a good deal of controversy and possibly ill-feeling, but the council had upheld the introduction of the franc. Practically every business firm in the Saar Valley had passed into at least 60 per cent' control of the French. The French now controlled practically all coal mines there. The recent constitution of the League of Nations Committee, with the inclusion of Mr. Stevens, a Canadian, would possibly rectify many of the items which had been critiVsed in the past. One of the great problems the league had was the administration of the Saar Valley. It was a difficult task given to th<_ league, but he felt sure that the next few years would see matters working smoothly. Dealing with Danzig, a free city, Mr. MaDder said many disputes had arisen between the people of Danzig and the surrounding Poles. He thought much credit was due to Sir Reginald Tower, who, since 1919. had settled many of the disputes. Besides the usual racial problems which had to be faced, there were economic problems, the official language to obtain, the railway, telegraphs, etc. These were all problems the league had to fac?. and the fact that the league had prevented the disputes developing into serious trouble was a compliment to the league's administration and its work as a peacemaker.