DOMINON INFLUENCE

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 5, 7 January 1928, Page 22

DOMINON INFLUENCE

NEW ZEALAND AND THE LEAGUE. During a stay extending over some •'eight months in New Zealand, ono of my chief interests has been to inquire into the attitude of this most distant of the Dominions to the League- and Its policy, writes Professor A. J. 'Grant, of Leeds University, in "HeadTvay," the official organ of the League of Nations. New Zealand is in every way extremely English and there is, £ think, no very marked difference between feeling here and feeling at Home. I have tried in vain, to discover any decided opposition. I spoko once to "The Canterbury Officers' Club" on the subject. We had a pleasant discussion, but there was no outspoken disapproval of tho League. I have encountered on several occasions ■the feeling that the initiative in international affairs must lie with Great Britain, and that New Zealand can but follow her lead. I have always urged that the influence of the- Dominions on the policy of the Mother Country is mow so great that it is of tho utmost importance that New Zealand should express herßolf favourable to a courageous and thorough application of a League policy. I have spoken on various occasions about the League and its work. There are some commonplaces which have to be repeated constantly: that tho League has not set up any superState; that the idea of the British Fleet being ordered about by a group of rival or even of enemy powers is the nightmare of peoplo who have not read the Covenant; that the League is not an institution for interfering in every dispute and setting everything right the world over. But audiences generally are as well informed as those of the Mother Country. The most interesting opportunity of co-operating in the work of the Dominion League of Nations Union presented itself when I was asked to take part in a deputation to the Houses of Parliament and to urge on them the desirability of forming a non-party committee, such as exists at Westminster, for watching all that concerns tho League. Professor Fisher, of Duncdin, the chairman of the union, and the Eev. Dr. Gibb were the other speakers. There was a good attendance of members, and the Prime Minister, the Eight Hon. J. G. Coates, was among them. It is believed that action will be taken in accordance with the suggestions of tho deputation. ' There is .much that is encouraging in New Zealand to those who accept the League programme for the organisation of a world order; but clearly »lso there is a wide opening' for the work of the union.