LEAGUE OF NATIONS UNION

Evening Star, Issue 21709, 2 May 1934, Page 16

LEAGUE OF NATIONS UNION

OTAGO BRANCH OUTLOOK FOR FUTURE Confidence that the League of Nations would revive again and regain the prestige it seemed, for the time being, to have lost, was expressed by the president (Rev, H, 10. Bellhouse) at the annual meeting of the Otago branch of the League of Nations Union in the Y.M.C.A. last night. There was a fair attendance of members. ANNUAL REPORT. The annual report stated, inter alia: —During the last twelve months thirty-three lectures and addresses have been delivered by members of the council and the secretary. Pour broadcast talks, three public lectures by wellknown speakers, twelve lectures given in response to invitations from societies, also to special luncheons, addresses to five secondary schools and to nine primary schools. Further, many sermons by our members have dealt with the League of,. Nations. While for debates for Bible class leaders literature and information has been supplied, and reports of the League’s activity have been circulated to the local and provincial newspapers. The branch has a membership roll of 629 financial members. From the inception of the branch Sir Charles Statham, M.P., has been president. This year he resigned ; the council then nominated the Rev. H. E. Bellhouse to the office. No more fitting candidate could be selected, for Mr Bellhouse is a vice-president of the Dominion Executive and has been chairman of the council for six years. A further development, still in the embryonic stage, is the formation of a youth group on tin? lines of those in Britain and on the Continent of Europe. This group is for young people between the ages of seventeen and twenty-five years, to have their own office-bearers, thus being free to carry out their own modern ideas within the framework of the union. At the local Industries Exhibition, held in April, a stand was secured at which a display of posters, books, and literature was on view. A special exhibit was made by Mr Gibson (of the Museum) stating effectively the disparity between the taxation in Britain for (a) the war past and present as 15s in the £ of taxation; (b) the amount of one-fifth of a farthing in the £ as Britain’s contribution towards the League of Nations. During May and June a few members of the council conducted a “ membership drive,” with the result that seventyseven new adherents were enrolled. When in December last the low state of the funds caused anxiety to the Finance Committee, Miss Belle M‘.lntyre undertook to arrange a “ bring and buy ” sale. . Her thorough organisation and energy carried it through successfully, so that the council has been enabled to pay in full the branch levy to the dominion funds. Again, as in former years, we are deeply indebted to the Secretariat of the League of Nations and to the International Labour Organisation for gifts of publications gratis. These have been distributed according to their contents to the Otago University, to the men’s residential colleges, and to high schools throughout Otago. The council desires to express its warmest appreciation of the work of its secretary, Mrs Denton Leech, during the past year. Such success as the branch enjoys is largely owing to her faithful, indefatigable services, and to her organising ability, and it is only fitting that the members’ sense of her worth should be recorded Moving the adoption of the annual report, the chairman said he thought it would be agreed that they had engaged in very praiseworthy activities during the year. They stood for education in international questions and international matters in the community. They still held the distinction of being the largest branch in the dominion, the membership drive being a very fine achievement and bringing in seventy-seven new members. The League was passing through trying times, said Mr Bellhouse. It had been flouted first by Japan, and then came the withdrawal of Germany, which was a severe blow to the League. Yet he held that when they allowed foi the element of failure in the League, it was the only institution that stood between them and worldwide conflagration. He believed the League would revive again and regain the prestige which seemed, for the time being, to have been lost. The report was adopted, and the financial statement, moved by Mr Frank Taylor, was also adopted. i OFFICE-BEARERS. The election of office-bearers resulted : President, the Rev. H. E. Bellhouse (re-elected); vice-presidents, Hon. W. Downie Stewart, M.P., and Mr Willi Eels (re-elected); hon. treasurer, Mi Frank Taylor (re-elected); council—Dean Crnickshank, Dr E. N. Merrington, Dr W. J. Mullin, Messrs W. R. Brugh, James Farquharson, D. Hamilton, H. K. Wilkinson, N. S. Woods, and Miss B. MHntyre (reRev. E. S. Tuckwell, Messrs H. P. Kidson, J, L Salmond, Shearer, Miss M. Ford, Miss A. White, and Miss Lynn, Mrs R. Alexander (representing W.C.T. U.), and representatives of the Ii.S.A, and Otago Educa tional Institute, Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, and Commercial Travellers’ Association. A vote of thanks to and appreciation of tlie services rendered by the secretary (Mrs Denton Leech) was carried. RESOLUTION ON DISARMAMENT. The Chairman moved the following resolution:—“That this meeting of the Otago branch of the League of Nations Union deplores the comparative failure so far ot the International Disarmament Conference.- Convinced as it is that permanent peace can not be realised without disarmament and that disarmament can not be achieved in an atmosphere of insecurity and believing that unrestricted competition in armaments must lead to a new world war, more devastating in its effects than any which mankind has yet known, it urges that it is the imperative duty of every Government to work for the full and rapid success of the Disarmament Conference By success are meant measures of real disarmament, combined with real security, so that the peoples and their Governments will themselves be faithful to their obligations and will feel genuine confidence in the new international system which is to replace the armed anarchy of the past.” The motion was seconded by Dr Merrington, and carried unanimously, it being decided to forward a copy of the resolution to the Prime Minister, the Dominion Executive of the League of Nations Union, and the president of the International Peace Congress, London.