DOMINION INFLUENCE

Evening Star, Issue 19762, 12 January 1928, Page 11

DOMINION INFLUENCE

NEW ZEALAND AND THE LEAGUE During a stay extending over some eight months in New" Zealand one 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, iii 'Headway,' the official organ of the League of Nations). New Zealand is in every way extremely English, and there is, I think, no very marked difference between feeling here and feeling at Home. 1 have tviod in vain to discover any decided opposition. I spoke once to the Canterbury Officers' Club on the subject. We had a pleasant discussion, but there was no outspoken disapproval of the League. I have encountered on Feveral occasions the feeling that the initiative in international affairs must lie wtli 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 now so great that it is of the utmost importance that New Zealand should express herself favorable to a courageous and thorough application of a. League policy. i jiavo spoh.cn on various occasions about, (he League and its work. There are somo commonplaces which have to be repeated constantly—that the League has, not set up any super-Slate; that the idea of the British Fleet being ordered about by a group of rival or even of enemy powers is the nightmare of people who have not read Ihe Covenant; that the League is not an institution for interfering in every dispute and setting everything right the world over. Kul audiences generally are as well informed as (hos<s of (he Mother Country.

The most interesting opportunity of cooperating 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-parly cominiff.ee. such as exists at Westminster, for watching all that concerns the League. Professor Fisher, .of Dunedin, the chairman ot the union, and the Rev. Dr Gibb were the other speakers. There was a good attendance of members, and the Prime Minister, the Rigid. Hon. .T. G. Coates, was among them. His believed that action will he taken in accordance with the suggestions of the deputation. There is much that is encouraging ( in New Zealand to those who accod the League programme for the organisation of a world order: but clearly also there is a wide opening for the work of the union.