REPORTING THE LEAGUE.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 306, 27 December 1928, Page 3

REPORTING THE LEAGUE.

HELP FOR THE PRESS.

INTERPRETATION OF SPEECHES.

WONDERFUL ORGAN IS ATION

(By a Now Zealander at Geneva.)

Englu ml French arc the two official languages of the League of Nations. A delegate may speak in any other tongue, but the duty of providing an interpretation in either French or English is with him. Once" only, in the sitting of the Assembly this year, was a third language used, and this was by the German Chancellor, who spoke in his mother tongue, but with German thoroughness he had had both English and French translations prepared and typed, and circulated during the time he was tnakitig his address.

Fiench is far more generally used by delegates—even by Chinese. Japanese, Norwegians, Persians and others—than English. So far as one can recollect, only the British delegates (and Indians) used English during the Assembly debates, although most of the others could speak it —and fluently. Even a Chechoslovakian delegate, an erstwhile Chicago lawyer, used French. The New Zealand High Commissioner, having applied himself to the task after his first visit to Geneva to represent the Dominion, has "brushed it up" sufficiently well to dispense with translations. *It is an immense help, and it saves much time.

The Interpreters. The League practice is for a speech to be made first in the one tongue, and only after its completion, even if it lasts for half an hour, or more, to be translated. If the address has been typed, and is read, the interpretation is not a difficult matter. But one has the utmost admiration for the interpreter who can follow a half-hour speech, given without notes, and then, two minutes after its conclusion, stand before the Assembly and supply its equivalent in another tongue, and in so doing satisfv not only those acquainted with both languages, but also the speaker. It is both expert reporting and expert interpretation. Everyone admires the efficiency of the interpreters of the League of Nations.

Another outstanding feature of the general staff efficiency, for which the Secretary-General, the remarkable Sir Eric Druminond— an Englishman, who has organised the Secretariat from the foundation of the League—is responsible, is the astounding speed with which roneo copies of speeches and translations are made available. The shorthand reporters, working in relays, take down their notes, either in French' or English—either standing or sitting— and dictate them to typists, and by perfected organisation complete copies of the speech in hundreds are distributed to delegates in less than an hour, Full reports of the morning's sittings are always on the delegates' desks when the afternoon session opens. Those with ex, perience of other conferences will appreciate this efficiency, and one rarely hears of complaints regarding the accuracy of official reports or interpretations. A World's Preaa.

Then there is tlie system of liaison with the Press. The League, operating through the Secretariat, makes no pre" tence of its dependence upon the world's Press for acquainting mankind with its work and it 3 ideals. As previous!v stated, over 3.30 journalists from all parts of the world attend the League's meeting's. There is very little held secret from them. They attend all committee meetings, and*all possible is done to enable them to "cover the ground" to their own satisfaction. An information section is in charge of this work.

Some time before an Assembly session begins, the agenda is made available to all Press representatives—as soon as it has been officially communicated to Governments. The information section even prepares notes for the Press on all points in the agenda, giving their origin, the present state of the questions, etc. Before each meeting, either of Assembly or committees, Press representatives receive all the material distributed—memoranda prepared by the Secretariat, observations by Governments, drafts of proposed resolutions, reports of sub-committees—it is all placed in their lockers for them. Ha eh accredited journalist is allotted a locker when he receives his "pass." Half an hour after the close of the morning or afternoon session a complete verbatim report of the meeting is provided in the two languages. In the' case of the Council meetings, verbatim reports of speeches are posted up in the Press room while the meeting is still in progress. With Assembly and Council sometimes meeting at the same time, and with six important committees sitting virtually at once, as has been known to happen, it can be realised how essential is all this liaison work to the journalist, especially as much of the matter dealt with is often technical, lengthy and difficult to translate into a short cable "story." For the convenience of British journals, and agencies which send news abroad from London, ft special Press wire has been provided direct from Geneva to the English capital.

Nowhere, one might safely say, is the arduous work of journalists more greatly assisted and facilitated than at Geneva. The profession is accorded its due station of importance in this great national peace work.

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