LEAGUE OF NATIONS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 109, 10 May 1932, Page 5

LEAGUE OF NATIONS

" IS IT WORTH WHILE .?'.?

ADDRESS BY SIR J. PARR

"I have profouud faith in the League; I am grateful for what it has accom-_ plished and deeply'expectant that it will do hvice as much in the , next twelve years as it has done in tho past twelve years," said Sir James Parr at the ■ conclusion of a' most informative and interesting address on the League of Nations at the annual meeting of the Wellington branch of. the; League of Nation's Union last evening." The chairman, Mr. W. J. MeEldowney, remarked that great decisions had to-be made this year—with respect, for instance, to reparations aaid dis-' armament. The Shanghai and Manchurian troubles had brought . fresh? anxieties and. many critics, strong ia denunciation of the Leagued, apparent weakness in "the hour of crisis. Tlie: League was up ' many- yestedlnterests. Soldiers, sailor*, and inanu- 1 facturers of armaments criticised tlie League. But not all the criticism was hostile: The speaker: saia that at pre-. sent the more he thought of-it, the more the contention impressed ijiflt that tha essential function, of the League was in danger of being lost sij'ht of in the pursuit of. superficially but airy schemes, of which the United States of Europe was an ■The primary function of the Eeague was the prevention of war. r Wl^teve'r its weaknesses, the fact remained that the League was the one great, fdToe in'thai world to-day that' offered hops to those who believed that, co-operation! and. upbuilding, not strife and de^tfuctiony were the true destiny of the human: race, and as such it called.:;with power and insistence for the support .of- all men and women of goodwill. ;-. '•'■■:, SHOULD BE ISTJPPOBTEdJ, "The League of Nations,"' s*jd Sir James Parr,-in- opening his "address, "is in a sense the. most important, po'dy; in the world.. It is the only organisation representing the nations-o$ the world. It is the'sounding board ot world opinion. If it fails, there is'Ho hope. The League alone stands be-, tween us and. another Armagedoloi, ■which, with its scientific weapons.' fit war, will destroy our civilisation.' , Bait the League-has not failed: It has erjeate ed _a new collective spirit among jtho nations and has done some good "rt"tfEK.It has existed'oniy twelve years.tbo short a. time in which to Judge it. How; can one expect that in twelve jreaY3 racial hatreds and fears existing for, centuries,.can be eliminated. 16 will take' time. The League, can stop all small wars even to-day, with its tmoral pressure and. its threat of financial and! economic "punisiunent of the guilty parties. • And* in/great wars, by 'delaying1 the outbreak" and'by organising "public opinion against .the offenders, ;it can; do much vtoiprevent, s .the, threatened struggle.- It.j.has-.alieaay prervented: small wars;< and only the othier day, the settlement*' -of ;. the ' Sino* Japanese trouble'at Shanghai -; waa largely ''due' "to"" its 'wise' arid patient mediation.- Its humanitarian, social, and financial operations have'done muehvin. a. decade to iinprbve the World's Even if; it has failed to-bring-about a-great disarmament, and "notwithstanding its ■objjpus weaknesses^ the Leagtle is still' 1 worth! while, and "should' be supportect' The world cannot' afford/tpVdo withbut-it.'' AMEBICA'S POSITION". ; • Dealing^ with"'Aiiwifea,' Sii ; James Parr said: "it is' ..true"," |h'a^ "isjneirica turned down the; League ?in^ fr£l'9 \fid refused to join.it. But sjnee tt^at date America has largely broken; awf^y from, policy of isolation. In yiew'.-of her great -interests-; spread all Vovar the world, America'finds she cannot; staiid aside. .' ' -. .' '■'■" "': "America is not"n' the Ltaaguej'* said Sir James, "but I heasrd Mr. Kellogg say. .two years, .'aga that America had been represented! at 32 League Conferences, while -her delegates had also attended 20 other Conferences held under th League's auspices. And the other day an American, delegate _actually sat."[at the tjable of the League Council and took effeetiva part in its deliberations about Manchuria and Japan. "Further, America is responsible,foi; the great Peace Pact brought sjijoufi ia 1928, which I had- the honour of signing at Paris on behalf <xf this? Dominion. America's attitude ■trill b» largely influenced by the suectess or otherwise of the present' Disarnwuneht Conference; ; I prophesy that wiiSiin a few years such will be the fotriee o£ world circumstances that America .will become a full member of the Leugue. President Hoover's recent spirited, declaration that America must-1 cooperate with Europe in all world af^aira expresses the trend of public opinion in America. In effect, if not in.jaame,America is largely' in the ■ Le.iguo already." ■ ■■..:. ~ ' V MANYACHIEVEMENTS. f •. Eeferring to naval disarmament, Sii; James Parr said that Britain had. don* much toward that end. Britain > hadi Spared her fleet down to the : boneg sh^ had given up the- supremacy of thai sea. It was hoped, fie said,''that thai League of Nations would, accomplish.1 something- definite in ,the. limitatioi; Of air attacks. •., " , . V". The speaker said there were ■ wetfiK spots in the post-war arrangements. He alluded to the problems affeetiag minorities and boundaries. The Polish. Corridor was indubitably the outstanjling weak spot of Europe to-day, Miti he was ■of opinion that.this and othfer, difficulties would ultimately^be solveM. It was foolish, howeyer, : iio think that these problems could: be settled^* oneej it would take years to acconi-' plish the task. : • . '■ > *Sir James Parr outlined the achievements of the League, including tfc* preventing of wa,rs between .certaSa nationa>- the furtherance of social, humanitarian, and health measures: ■'■»-. "An entertaining pait of hisaddresp was a description of the leading statesmen who attended- the League and reference to the.social life, at Gengya and the language -difficulties. Jfn, answer vto the question, "Is the Leagi© worth while!" Sir, James replied: '*I thinli it is a hundred times worth, while.": . ' ' ■-' ' ; :

On the motion of Mr. W. B. Ma^hieson, seconded by the Key. Dr. Gibb, a hearty vote of thanks- was. acoordea to Sir James Parr for his address.