LEAGUE OF NATIONS

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 113, 6 February 1935, Page 9

LEAGUE OF NATIONS

Failures and Successes ' MR. J. V. WILSON’S ADDRESS Some aspects of the work of the League of Nations were discussed by Mr. J. V. Wilson, Chief of the Central Section of the League Secretariat, in an address given in Nimmo’s Hall last night under the auspices of the Wellington branch, League of Nations Union. The chairman, Mr. P. J. O’Regan, presided over a good ance..There was no denying the formidable growth in recent years of nationalistic policies, both/in the political and in the economic field, inimical to the development of that international co-operation which the League was founded to promote, Mr. Wilson said. Geneva was in fact often the first to feel the effect of such policies. But there they were judged, though not less gravely, at any ' rate less despairingly than at a distance. Delegates and officials employed in the various and undoubtedly useful business of the League, which was lately unreported because it was un-, sensational, knew what an indispensable part the League now played in the conduct of international relations. Moreover, it was always meeting crises, and had so far always survived them. It had even recovered to a great extent from the last and worst, the withdrawal of Germany, and perhaps its prestige had never stood higher than at the last Council meeting, when the Saar question and the Hungarian-Yugo-slavian question were, so far as could be foreseen, successfully settled. Comings and Goings. In the last two or three years the Argentine had- resumed membership, and Mexico, Turkey, Equador, Afghanistan and the U.S.S.R. had become members. The United States of America was now closely associated with the League, and had formally adhered to the International Labour Organisation. Here also there were ups and downs, as the recent refusal of the Senate to enter the World Court showed. The withdrawals of Japan and Germany were a serious blow, but in spite of it there was no need to he discouraged if the great body of States, and especially the various parts of the British Empire, continue to profess and practise the rules of the Covenant. As an organ of conciliation, supplementing the .efforts of national dipplomacy, the League’s usefulness should by now be manifest to anyone who paid the slightest attention to foreign affairs. Among crises which had been successfully handled by the council in the last two or three years should be mentioned the dispute between Great Britain and Persia in regard to the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, in which immense financial interests were involved; the dispute which arose between Colombia and Peru as a result of the occupation by Peru of the ter-, ritory of Leticia on the Upper Amazon; the problem of the Saar, and the recent very dangerous dispute between Hungary and Yugoslavia. It was in-* teresting to note that in two of these cases—Colombia-Peru and the Saar—the League had in addition to its usual methods of investigation and mediation made use—fortunately a preventive and bloodless use—of the military arm.

' Two Different Cases. In other cases, namely the Manchurian dispute and the Chaco war, the League’s mediatory powers, though fully and perseveringly employed, had not availed. In each case the League had had recourse to a form of pressure. In the case of Manchuria, it had established a united diplomatic front on the basis of the non-recognition of Manchukuo. In the case of the Chaco, it had organised the embarco on the export of arms to the two belligerents. Bolivia and Paraguay. The action taken by the League had not so far produced the intended effect, and it was a matter of opinion whether the members of the League had used the resources of the covenant as well as they might. It was. however, .unjust to accuse the League of inaction in these two most difficult cases. In conclusion. Mr. Wilson said the way to meet in the international field the disruptive tendencies of the present time was shown more and more clearly to be the full acceptance and application of the covenant. of the League. However things might appear from afar, seen from'Geneva they left no doubt that when the members of the League acted fully in accordance; with its letter and spirit, it worked. The failures of the League _ could in every case, the speaker believed, be attributed not to any defect in the covenant, but to half-heartedness in applying it. On the motion of the Rev. F. R. Wilkinson, seconded hr the Rev. Dr. J. Gibb, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded Mr. Wilson.