A REMARKABLE ASSEMBLAGE

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVIII, Issue 292, 7 November 1928, Page 8

A REMARKABLE ASSEMBLAGE

(LEAGUE OF NATIONS IN ACTION,

FIFTY NATIONS WORKING FOR PEACE.

There are many close students of the League of Nations and its work, many who faithfully read the ample documents dealing with each year’s Assombly and the work of the Council. But it is wrong to assume that the great majority <3 people, in every nation, while acquainted in a general way with the high principles embodied in the League, and informed of the chief subjects of debate at its gatherings, have little clear knowledge of the actual character, procedure and the work of this remarkable assemblage. Remarkable assemblage it undoubtedly is. There has been nothing like it before in history. Whatever preconceived ideas one may hold-; —and it is difficult for anyone not to view with considerable scepticism proposals to 'abolish war —there are certain features of the Assembly, when you see it in action for the first time, which simply compel any serious-minded person to pause and think. There is the fact, for instance, that fifty nations are represented. There may be notable absentees, it is true, in the United States, Russia and Brazil, but with these exceptions and a few others of minor importance, the Assembly is a gathering, or parliament of all the nations of the world, great and small. Another thing is that the individual calibre of the representation also is high. France’s chief delegate this year is that great and eloquent Foreign Minister, M. Briand; Britain's, her Acting Foreign Minister, Lord Cushendun; Germany’s, the Chancellor of the Reich, Herr Herman Muller; Italy’s, the eminent Professor Scialoja (a former Foreign Minister and now holding other portfolios); Japan’s, the talented M. M. Adatti. This is to name only the representatives of the five great powers. In the case of nations of lesser rank there are delegates whose names are equally illustrious in their own country's affairs, whoso opinions and counsel are highly assessed by League. There are no fewer than five Prime Ministers present as delegates; 17 Foreign Ministers, 64 Ambassadors and Ministers Plenipotentiary, three High Commissioners of British Dominions, and many members of different parliaments and governments. Altogether, with sub-delegates,. technical advisers, and secretaries, the total of all the delegates is 453. Then there is as an integral part of this gathering the huge Permanent Secretariat that gives effect to the decisions of the League and of the Council. which in itself is a remarkable international organisation, or civil service, a body the like of which has never before existed. There are also the two other main League creations, 'equally unique: the Permanent Court of International Justice and International Labour Office, which, though they do not come directly into the sphere of working of the Assembly or Council, are-each the product of the League, and more or less under its control —certainly so far as provision for their finance is concerned.

These are what might be termed surface features, things which instantly impress one on a first acquaintance w r ith the Assembly in session. They give an idea of immenseness—of the real proportions of this great creation of mankind to end war— of an organisation powerful and solid, to which civilisation is applying its utmost practical ability and resource to perfect and render more and still more effective. And this impression grows as there is closer acquaintance with the League, and tho great amount of practical work it already has achieved, the wide range of its operations, tho sum of the settlements of disputes it has helped to effect, the stupendous effort it is making in its enormous literary output to permeate tho world with the gospel of peaceful methods —with the very liveness, earnestness, and efficiency of the organisation. To view the League in its remote mountain-girt home from a distance, to regard it as a lofty ideal, noble in its intentions, but impotent, because of unchanged human nature, to fulfil its aims, is one thing. To become intimate with its working, and associated with those who are applying earnestness, patience and faith to the task of developing out of it that condition of affairs for which Christendom hae been praying for centuries, is another.

STRENGTH OF DELEGATIONS.

It might prove interesting to indicate the relative forces brought to the Assembly by some of the countries and also by the British Dominions. Great Britain herself appears on the Delegation list as the “British Empire." There were reasons for this when the League was first formed, but it is sufficient hero to state that if ono now-a-days asks for an explanation, one is told that it is because the term embraces the other parts of the Empire outside the Dominions of India.

Britain has a delegation of 25, which includes three main delegates, two substitutes, 10 experts from the various branches of the Service, a Secre-tary-General to the delegation, a Foreign Office Press Officer, while the remainder are private secretaries. France has 26, Germany 20, Italy 25, Japan 25. Coming to smaller countries, we find Persia has 7, Venezuela 6, Siam 8, Abyssinia 4, Finland 11, Greece 10, Hungary 18, and eo on. In the case of several of the smaller countries, especially those distant from Switzerland, their Ambassadorial and Consular Services in Europe are largely drawn upon. On the British Dominion’s side (which likewise call generally upon their High Comimssioners in London for chief representation), Canada has 'l2, Australia 7, New Zealand 3, South Africa 11, the Irish Free State 6, and India 13. This year, New Zealand’s delegation comprises Sir James Parr ~as principal delegate, Major-Goneral Sir George Richardson as substitute, . and Mr C. Knowles, the High Commissioner’s private secretary, who also, •cts as a substitute on committee work. As the work cf the Assembly is planned out on a basis of three delegates and three substitute-dele-gates to a country, it can be imagined that the lot of the New Zealand delegation is not an easy one while the conference lasts. . ... ~ Besides the sittings of the Assembly, there are six committees which deal primarily with all Assembly agenda subjects and are necessarily of great importance, and these committees meet in two groups, of three, at the game hour, i.e., three committees are sitting at the same time. It is most advisable the Dominion should have ular representation at the committee meetings, because in this gathering ~r t j-im nations there is prestige to be upheld and absences are noted. The League, either in Assembly or by committees meets each morning and nfteruoon including Saturdays, and sometimes in the evenings, and when there

does come in an unexpected gap, there is generally a meeting of British Empire delegates to be attended by Dominion representatives. It will thus bo seen that attendance at League of Nations’ assemblies is by no means a sinecure. It is worthy of note that the British Empire countries between them have seven votes, and this, in an Assembly fifty strong, is a very considerable force. No other nation has more than one.