LEAGUE OF NATIONS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 107, 7 May 1924, Page 12

LEAGUE OF NATIONS

' DEPUTATION WAITS ON

PREMIER

MR. MACDONALD'S ATTITUDE.

(FIIOH OUR OWN CORRBSPOKDBHT.)

,■ LONDON, 19th February. A deputation from the .-League of Nations union, under the leaderLhip of Pi'ofessor Gilbert Murray, waited on the Prime Minister and' Lord Parnioor yesterday. Professor Murray assured Mr. MacDonaM of the Union's wish.to strengthen the hands of His Majesty's Government in dealing with the situation in Europe, especially with the settlement of reparations and the continued occupation of German territory by foreign troops. . ;

, Lord Cecil said they had to get united Government-action of all Departments in support of the League, and also to impress on other Governments the fact that- they really did mean business; and that there was very close union between the League policy and the general polisy of the country. He.would suggest that it would bo desirable, perhaps, to issue general instructions to the diplomatic representatives of the country as to the attitude of the Government towards the League. He had in mind a circular pointing out-what the Government desired and instructing the Eecipients to use every opportunity of pressing that. .. .'■ :'■■: ■: -■;.' . ■ ■■

In thecourse of his reply to the deputation, the Prime' Minister said that those of them, like Lord Cecil and Major Hills, who had been behind the scenes, knew that there were troublesome difficulties. ."We .cannot produce results very hurriedly either as regards ,:;the League of Nations, or as regards anything. It. is the harvest! that grows slowly which ripens best, and I ani perfectly certain that you can. assume arid be assured that everything the Government can do to make the League ' of Nations.a real force in the national policy we will'do. ■ Our idea is not to isolate it. We aye all blamed for being idealists. ".'. Quite frankly and unrepentantly we are. But whilst we are stretching out to the ideal with one hand we have" a very firm grip on the' real with the other, and our joint conception is that the League of Nations must be co-ordin-ated with the rest of our national policy. The Foreign Office policy must be coordinated with: the policy that Lord Parmoor will conduct as our representative on the League of Nations, and, as Lord Cecil has so well said, it is not only up to the Foreign Office, but to all Departments. That is our idea. ;

It is a very big task, but we are optimists. We will do our best to. carry it out. If -we fail, I hope wou will bo sympathetic. I wish to say how exceedingly obliged the Government is, and I myself am, to' Lord Cecil, for all that' he has done. Anything in the way of suggestions we shall be very glad to . receive. Whenever it is possible to use men and women of goodwill to do the common work, I shall be only too glad if you will help us with your ideas." RELATIONSHIP WITH FOREIGN OFFICE.

Lord Parmoor, who'has been appointed by Mr. Macßonald to look'alter aIF the League matters on behalf of the Government, also replied to the1 deputation. ; "What one has to think of," he said, "is not that you can get all that you want at once,, but to mate sure that each step is at least in the right direction.^ There is no man in. the country who has more at heart the success of the League than the Prime Minister Summarised in a few words, the Government wish, through the medium of the League of .Nations, to produce order out of anarchy in internati6nal relations. VVe\are bound, of course to harmonise the claims of nationality with ur views of internationality,. and- it is a mistake to suppose there is any' antagonism betwen the'two. ''„

„-1 Jl?P° ? may re-echo-all that the Prime .Minister has said, about the enormous value of the work of Lord Cecil. When I undertook to represent the Government to the League of Nations, I naturally inquired what was therelationship towards the Foreign Office it is useless to have the League of Na' tions as an amateur organisation. • You >vant the Government's foreign policy to be a League of Nations' policy The Prime Minister .is a most valuable supporter when his heart is, in any' matter and his heart is m this matter He de' SI/ e w V- at ,in all luesti°ns the League of Nations representative should °be brought into touch with the Foreign

I do not see how ..tfr, organisation could le carried farther than 0 we have earned it. We have complete, accom! niodation at the Foreign Office " the League of Nations' representative is shown every paper that, affects Leaeuo questwns, and in all other matters where the .League is not touched directly full information is supplied. I; have been greeted most kindly at the Foreign Office and I believe everything is working .■well. There is nothing in the programme, of Lord Cecil that might not view So-far as the principle is concerned, the League of Nations is not only part of the Foreign Office, but ateo in touch with all other official Depart