WORK OF THE LEAGUE

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 33, 8 August 1934, Page 11

WORK OF THE LEAGUE

IS IT APPRECIATED?

LABOUR MEMBERS' APPEAL

The work dono by tho League of Nations was discussed in the House of Representatives yesterday ' afternoon following the presentation of the report of the Dominion representative on tho, fourteenth Assembly of tho League at Geneva in 1933.

Mr. W. Nash (Labour, Hutt) contended that tho League was a most useful body, and had done exceptionally good work in the world, but he doubted if any Government in the world took less interest in tho League- than the New Zealand Government; although it paid its subscription promptly. He asked the Government to change its mind and policy and give more thought to the League. He thought the only organisation that would save the world and all its countries from war was the League of Nations.. .

Tho Hon. W. Downic Stewart (Government, Dunedin "West) said that at the Pan-Pacific Congress at Toronto last year, he and Mr. W. Nash wore greatly impressed With tho strong feeling in Canada towards tho League. He said that a vast amount of work in connection with tho drug traffic and social, problems had been done. It might be that tho League would have to bq reconstituted. Olio speaker in Canada had considered that it should be reconstructed at Washington and throw the responsibility on to America. Ho did not think Britain was at all to be blamed if, after tho example she had set, she now found it necessary to protect herself. Some years ago he was talking to tho New Zealand High Commissioner who had told him it was extremely difficult to ascertain ,the opinion, of tho people of New Zealand on matters to come before tho Assembly.

Tho-Leader of tho Opposition (Mr. M. J. Savage) criticised the representative's report, which, he said, was all words. New Zealand did not appear to bo interested in any question considered by tho League. The Government could not find money to take an interest in tho League, but it could find money to do many less important things. They could not even get a member, of the' Government, to gjve them a lead on the matter.

Mr. W.. Parry (Labour, Auckland Central) said some podplo spoke sarcastically about the League, but the strength of the League itself would always be determined by the units composing it, and unless they were prepared to go so far as to make a sacrifice in the interests of tho work of tho League, they were not going to get very far. He appealed to the Government and tho people of New Zealand to take a greater interest in its future. Mr. A. S. Richards . (Labour, Roskill) critieisod tho report for its scanty reference to mandated territories. He hoped the Government's interest in the League could not be judged by the silence of its members.

Mr. D. G. Sullivan (Labour, Avon) j sai,d the report was a very dispiriting paper, and he hoped the Government would take- notice of what had been said about it. The report did not deal with international matters, but the representative said ho went to Geneva to co-operate with others to bring about economy in the League. Mr. Sullivan hoped the representative did not think the economy was the only interest the people'of-New Zealand took in the League. Tho report was almost an insult, to-the intelligence of the people of New Zealand and was not at; all creditable to the representative himself. "

Mr. R. Scmple (Labour, Wellington East) said the country was nearer/war today than it was in 1914. If the Governments of the world were.to give the League the support it was entitled to, its efforts in the direction of peace would be much mote effective. It was lamentable to think that an organisation which had been formed to prevent war had not more intorest taken in it by the Governments of tho world.