The Dominion. THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 1935. NEW ZEALAND AND THE LEAGUE

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 285, 29 August 1935, Page 8

The Dominion. THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 1935. NEW ZEALAND AND THE LEAGUE

Fiftv-nine States, of whom New Zealand is one, arc members of the League of Nations, and as such entitled to delegate representation at Sague Assembly, held at Geneva in September o every year. Each'State member has one vote, but may send ree ,J e ’\ T The usual practice is that the High Commissioner attends as New JealaX oirlv delegate, and votes. The League of Nations Union in New Zealand, at its annual conference yesterday, leso ved to the Government to include in the Dominions dele^ t ’ 0 'X meetings of the Assembly "at least one member who i id go from New Zealand and return after the meeting in order t the mav be kept more closely in touch with the work and meals ot Lie League ’’ In admirable y end would be served-wel or indifferent y according to the choice of delegate—if this request could be given effect In the absence of a Minister of the Crown, the High Con missioner is the proper person to lead the New Zealand delegation, and to vote; but the fact of his not returning to this country between meetings is a serious handicap to public understanding of what the League of Nations is doing. . Every year there is^ aid before Par liament and embodied in State records an official repott fromi the 1N ew Zealand representative at the meeting of the Assembly; but it appear almost a year late, and is valueless to interpret current Internationa. “ en Yet little more can be expected of the High Commissioner whose first duty to his country is in London, and whose hands are full ot other things. He does, of course, communicate. P rl ™ te h £ Government, and, so long as our active share in the work oftic League is confined to participation in annual ness of the present arrangement is this lack of direct touch v. people of New Zealand. That would be overcome m part if jt could-be arranged for the High Commisstoner to supply an earher, shorter and more popular account of his part Ass T. j ceedings, for publication in the Press here, and if he could supple ment this by a talk, or talks, to New Zealand on the Empire broadcast system. But the High Commissioner would still be on die other side of the world. If the delegation included a member from New Zealand he would return here afterward, and in moving about among the people, as well as in public addresses, would bring the Le;ague and s work—and New Zealand’s share therein-more prominently into publ c notice. Although one visit would not be enough, to educate aMe ega c himself to a full appreciation of the practical significance of what. s being done at Geneva, it should be enough to set his enthusiasm alight for the cause; and if the delegate were a responsible member of I the Government, as he ought to be, he probably would attend severa successive Assemblies. . . A further point to be considered in this connection is the likelinoofi of New Zealand’s being elected in the relatively near future to one ot the non-permanent seats on the Council of the League. . us ra la occupies one now. and is represented by her High Commissioner, Mr. Bruce. It would be less convenient for attending meetings—ot which the Council holds at least four every year—but of greater educative value in Australia if a Minister from Canberra weie tl e representative; and the same would apply in the case of New < • We are far too apt in this country to think of the League of Nations as a distant, idealistic non-entity. For all its. failures, it is something far greater than that: the embodiment of Civilisation s earnest striving toward a better mode of living: the advance-guard of the rue o law in the international as well as in the national sphere, may rap the last remaining bulwark of the Western world against destruc ion by the devilish engines of twisted human ingenuity. Great -bri-ain has shown her belief in its importance by creating a new Cabinet post, Minister for .League of Nations Affairs; and by throwing herself heart and soul into support of the League in its present and greatest crisis. We are farther from Europe, and not so intimately aware of what is happening there; but we are a member of the .League ot Nations in our own right; liable to be affected by its decisions, and responsible for doing what little'we can to. direct and strengthen 1 s hand. Whether we like it or not, we are interested.