LEAGUE OF NATIONS

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 16 September 1927, Page 5

LEAGUE OF NATIONS

DISARMAMENT DEBATE. COUNCIL ELECTIONS. NEW SCHEME SUGGESTED. kiY OAlUib iatSd A.aduUlAilUi.M —Cor % iWUiil GENEVA, Seipt. 14. Tlie explorer, Dr. iNansen (.uie -Norwegian delegate; nmae a notable conurabu'Uan to t-tie disarmament, debate when the Third LommiiS«uon was tabling tine proposed optional arbitration treaty under winch the signatories, in addition to their obligations under the covenant, undertake to accept the decisions oi line Hague Court for any legal question and those of a committee ot arbitrators for other questions, tnus covering the whole field of international differences which ordinary diplomacy or tne League Council are unable to settle. Dr. Nansen argued that the. proposed obligation would voluntarily undertake to provide the means of security without invoving all the controversies concerning the protocol. The armaments of the. world, he said, were at present costing £7611,000,000 annually. Mr Hambro. a Norwegian, made an interesting suggestion to the Sixth Commission that a single transferable vote, equivalent to the. Australian preferential voting, should be used in the Council elections. Students of the League consider this method is possible, and that- it is the only chance of the Dominions obtaining a seat. At present a solid block of 14 Central South* Americans will', vote firstly for their own candidature, and then vote again to fill the remaining vacancies. Thev will also be susceptible to lobbying on behalf of tbe. small European Powers. Their vote is decisive, for a Dominion cannot be elected without at least a part of the American votes. While South Africa and Canada .supported the suggestion. Commander Hilton Young ((Great Britain) opposed it on the ground that the present method of election ought to be further tried. A sub-committee was appointed to consider the matter.

CANADA ELECTED. Received 10.20 a.m. today. GENEVA, Sept, 36 Canada, Cuba and Finland have teen elected to the league Council. —A.P.A. and "Sun.” ELECTION TO THE COUNCIL. CANADA’S CHANCES STRENGTHENED. Received 10.10 a.m. to-day. GENEVA, Sept, 36. Belgium’s desire, as a signatory to the. Locarno pact, to retain her seat on the Council of the League of Nations was thwarted by failure to gain the Assembly’s two-thirds majority declaring for eligibility for re-electon. The voting was 20 against and 10 in favour, or three short of the requisite number.

Canada’s chances of being chosen with Cuba ns the American .representatives are thus strengtehned.—A.P.A. and “Sun.”