MANDATES COMMISSION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18460, 25 July 1923, Page 9

MANDATES COMMISSION.

NEW ZEALAND CRITICISM. JUSTIFICATION ADMITTED. A. and N.Z. GENEVA, July 23. The third session of the Mandates Commission opened to-day. :•■,-.. The president, the Marquis Theodoli, said he had observed, especially in the statement of Sir Francis .D. Bell, New Zealand, certain apprehension, even ; displeasure, in. connection, with the >! work of the Permanent Mandates Commission. Sir Franois Bell objected, to the fact th it the commission's report was addressed so the public, and not to the Council of the League. : '. .•;..'.,■ ."■'•;■/'•. ■,'-'-:}^%'-r:'\'.i On this point, continued the Marquis Theodoli, he thought there -was; a misunderstanding which should be removed, but from which might be drawn guidance for the future. There was no doubt that the commission, being under the terms of the Covenant of the League of Nations an advisory body to the Council, it had no other duty than 'to submit its observations to the Council on reports from mandatory Powers.: It would be regrettable that its inquiries, carried out in a spirit of goodwill and the highest impartiality, should not be made known to . the '. public. It .would be ; desirable that the commission should meet early enough to permit the Council to consider its observations before communicating "' them to the Assembly. Satisfaction would thus be given; both to the legitimate wishes >of New Zealand and a general desire that the Assembly should be in possession of the ; commission's reports and observations in good tiino.!