LEAGUE OF NATIONS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 228, 21 June 1920, Page 5

LEAGUE OF NATIONS

ITS SERVICES TO THE WORLD

DEFENCE BY MR. BALFOUR

DELAY OYER ISSUE OF MANDATES

By Association—Copyright London, June 17. •In the House of Commons, Mr. Cecil Harmsworth (Under-Secretary of Foreign Affairs) stated that the members of the League of Nations have contributed .£170,000 tp its funds. • On ilia vote for the British Embassies and Consular Services, under which the expenses for the League fall, Mr. Balfour claimed that t)v? League had already performed considerable services to the worM. The permanent secretariat of the League would remain in London. There would be a general meeting of the League in November)) when lis futuro would be decided. Ho mentioned that an office had been es " tablished for tho registration of treaties, and henceforth no treaty wpuld be valid unless registered and open for inspection. He stated that tbe question of the division of expenses among the members of the League had been submitted to experts on international finance at a conference in Brussels. Dealing with the four permanent «ommittws established under the League on •armaments, health, transit, and interna*tional justice respectively, he emphasised the importance of the work of the Armaments Committee, and pojnted out that everything depended on tho nations supporting' the policy of disarmament. If each nation deolined to adopt disarmament on 'the ground that armaments were necessary for its security, then the tragedy for the League of Nations and the world would bo great indeed. . _

Dealing with the wort of the L«agu« iji connection witji the Peace Treaty, Mr, Bftiiour mentioned the appointment of a, commission to deliijut the Saar Valley, also of an international body to administer the Soar Valley. The League had appointed p, High (Vimmisaioner at DanzifT, who had frained the cpnstitution of to the general satisfaction °f the did WW drawing up ia treaty between Danzig ami Poland, The League was also dealing with the question of the threatened spread of zymotic disease from the to ths $est, especially iji Poland, The acted through the Bed Cross societies, and appealed to the nations for funds, Tht) league w»9 supervising the return of prisoners frppa Russia to Europe, and ] vies versa, jt wm also considering tho j question of international finance fi,id dislocation of credit, concerning which a meeting of experts would ho held. The Question of Mandates, Referring to the question of mandates, he said t)m tonus,of the manwere to be determined by the Peace Conference; but the use to which the mandates should be put' was left to the League of Nations. That yfza intended the Paris • Conference j consequently it was legrettablo that tlio mandates were not ready. Ho would not say it was a matter for which tjie League should bo blamed,; it was duo to tho fftct that tljo negotiations had taken a longer timb tluja was anticipated. Tlie League would come in when tho Mandatory Powers accepted their responsibility for carrying out the mandates. The League was doing its best to find a European Power to undertake tho mandate over Armenia, Some nations were prepared to supply the mandatory power, with the necessary resources. Mr. Pulfpur proceeded tq_ protest against the activities of enthusiasts, who were urging thp creation of a superState to direct a fo>ce levied and paid for by the sovereign States of the world. He deslared that the problem of bringing-order out of chaos must be dealt with by the Supremo Council or Otherwise. Those who - were throwing that burden upon the League were doing it tho greatest: possible disservice. The League, if overloaded, would assuredly break down, and the most promising effort hitherto mfide in the direction of a now civilisation would bo destroyed. Example qf piss)rmament. Mr. Asqnitk said lie hoped the victorious Powers would not be Blow to set an example with regard to (liearm&HKntHe asked whether [ho Polish aggression did not come within tho scope of Article' Eleven; whether the mandates for Palestine fvnd for Mesopotamia came from the League. . He urged the winding up of the Supremo Counoj) in order to let the League become ft reality. Lord Robert Cecil declared that lack of a formal decision as to the mandate for Africa was producing very deplorable conditions. He urged that all (tee questions should be fettled at tlje earliest moment. ' There was no'ropjn for two supreme international bodies', such as the Supreme Council and tho Council of the League. In regard to America, it wn6 difficult for us to dlsciisj' ifreely he* position'; but he was sure nothing would encourage our friends in America .more than to be jvblfl to nTgue with thorn that a 9 the League had accomplished so mush -in the preservation of peace, it wm undesirable that they shojjld stand aside in the great work—Router.

SUPREME COUNCIL GERMANY'S REPARATION PAYMENTS. Paris, June 17. The Supreme Council will meet a,t Boulogne prior to the Spa Conference. The scope of the meeting will be wider than' usual, as Italian, Belgian, nnd Japanese representatives lmvd been summoped to attend. The Council will discuss the total"reparations required from Germany, and the manner in which they' we to be paid. Probably also the delegates will discusg Russian trade relations-Aus,-N.Z. Cable Asan,

PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS AT ' . ■ ' LYMPNE. (Red. June 20, 5.5 p.m.) London, June 18. ' M. Millerand and. Marshal Foch, with financial and miliary advisers, have arrived at Lympne for preliminary discussions with Mr. Lloyd George in preparation for the Boulogne, Conference.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.