THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21120, 22 March 1934, Page 15

THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS

«. POWER TO PREVENT WAR meeting of christchlrcii MUNCH OF UNION The Christehurch branch of the L vajiuc of Nations Union held its an- . nual meeting at Canterbury College last night. In a brief address, the chairman, Mr R. M. Laing, drew attention to the work done in the last year and to the of this branch of the union, as compared with others. The Christi church branch, though very active and consisting of a higher proportion ol' active members, compared unfavourably as yet with such branches as that in Dunedin, where the numbershad readied 1000. It was desirable to extend the activities of the branch. Amendments to the constitution wi re adopted with a view to controlling .special work such as education and propaganda. Dr. R. R. D. Milligan advocated the : distribution of a suitable book on the : work ul the league amongst the , : ''hools, and outlined a plan which i be 11, Slowed bv the branch i Ofiiccrs Elected ! OiUivr*. elected for 1934 were:—! j Patrons, 13 i shop West-Watson and thr-1 ! Mavor ui Christehurch. Mr D. G. St:)- ; j i iv:in. M.l'.; president. Mr R. M. i ; Laing: vice-presidents, Mrs T. E. Tay- ! i Inr. jjr. J. Might, Mr R. A. Cuthbert, | and Dr. K. R. D. Milligan; secretary.) Mi,s M. Ockendcn; treasurer, Mr A. j Ockenden; council, Mrs H. A. Atkin-j son. Mrs C. W. Borrell, Mrs A. 1.1 Fiaer, Mrs L. C. Webb, Misses E. M. i Hawker, L. Munroe, E. Glen, M. Mc-i Laciilan, the Rev. J. A. Allan, Messrs P. i Gill. A. Brassington, C. R. N. Mackie, ] •W. Tomlinson. H. A. Atkinson, G. I 1 i'.vii, 11. E. Hitchcock, L. C. Webb, i !) It rvoy Hamilton, H. R. Best, J. Par-! j ker. J. Ritson, C. W. Borrell, A. J. j | ;,:c lildownoy, K. S. Baverstock, W. W. j Tlowntreo, and W. S. Baverstock. j j A vote of thanks was accorded to> I the retiring secretary, Mr G. Man-, jiii'i;:. whose loyal services had been 10l .ureal value to the union, and a ! similar vote was carried with respect |to Mrs S. Corner, who was leaving j j Christcliurch for Auckland. | The International Situation ! An address was delivered by the, I prescient, Mr R. M. Laing, who out-: j lined briefly the political and econo-, iinie condition of the world at present, i land the attitude of the League of I j Nations. ' | "The main point I would make is j that if tiie League fails there will be i uncontrolled and uncontrollable war j | resulting in chaosiu Europe," said Mr j La ins?, "and the efforts of the league] ! must never cease." j j Faith was needed but knowledge j also, the latter to be givep widely) throughout the schools, he continued.; Reading on the subject should be encouraged in adults so that new thought might unite the whole world in a movement iigamst war. The chief ideals were order, jus- \ tice, and liberty, and all three were) j only partly carried out in the world j | to-day. Italy, Russia, and Hungary i \*g o examples of countries where 1 order had been forced upon the : people with an accompanying oppression of certain parts of society. Democracy, it now appeared, could bo successful only where it was combined with a wise form of capitalism ] and the old theories of equality of rinan were impractical. Economic jusi 1 ice was necessary to bring about i peace, but democracy could not bring ! ; about the desired levelling etTcct. j ; Peiiti'.-al and economic tension wcrej 11he mam causes ol war. he said, and!

! as proved in the la.st war, Christianity | as practiced was not a sufficient deterrent. At present the position of the League of Nations was jipt as strong as the establishment of world peace demanded, but its powers had increased materially in the last decade. The desire was for a more open system of diplomatic relations to bring about an international feeling rather than the present national one. "Let us support the league at all j hazards.'' concluded Mr Laing. "It I is our only hope, and in the words of H. G. Wells, v. c are at present enj gaped i\i \i ran' between education 1 and catELitroalis.''»