LEAGUE Of NATIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18494, 3 September 1923, Page 5

LEAGUE Of NATIONS.

; MEANS TO WORLD'S PEACE. AEOUSING PUBLIC SUPPORT. {BUSINESS MEN'S MOVEMENT. , Mr. Leonard L. Grim\yade,who is storing ... up interest' in Auckland on the League of Nations, writes on the subject as follows:- ..■ ■ • .. ■■■:■'■■'"■„''■■'. In an effort to arouse interest in the League of Nations we need the saints, but we need ' sanctified common-sense . also. "Aloofness" will not do. - We must act at once—the * platform of the League needs broadening. . It must not be limited to the churches. We must mobilise all the forces. Every . man, woman and child, young and old, * rich and : poor, everyone that; can write a letter, .or persuade a friend, .or sell a flower, or give a. sixpence. The crisis of the world's fate, demands it. Dare anyone stand aloof ? In this matter we . are. bound together by the common interests of the race. , New Zealand, if it will can lead the way! • But the first thing is to galvanise.into life that inert mass of 115 millions' in America. -If the four cities of New Zealand sent cables to every city in the U.S.A. (even if it cost £100) the women out there would dip into things and (if fuller information followed by mail) the' whole Continent .could be, swept into-the : League. It was the women of America who got; the Washington Conference, and stopped Naval.competition, (all honour to them) and it is to them '.ye must appeal now.. Once America joins' the League, Germany will. follow and i the ,■ world will be safe. _ The business, men of Auckland have a live programme already! ■ 5000 art booklets to bo. sent"out stating the case for the. League. Seven prizes for boys or girls from the State schools under •■' fifteen years; • for the best essay on the work •of the League. (The vicar of Takapuna to adjudicate.) ': Cables to be sent to American cities urging immediate co-operation. • . ■■'■ A secretary and treasurer are to be appointed for 'the Auckland League of Nations Union. . v.

'..".. friendship Among Nations. If I mistake not the people will not only respond, but will invest their money as freely to promote friendship among the nations as they did for the slaughter of their enemies. If we cannot have the Federation of the World we can at least have the "United States of Europe." This would help New ■ Zealand trade. Farmers will sell. their butter more freely by backing "the League of Nations; but better still they will save their souls! : Now a word as to the constitution of the League of Nations. The bedrock is the Covenant whereby fifty-two nations have bound themselves together to resist the aggression of, any nation or state that breaks the peace. But still more important is the delicate machinery that has been fixed up to prevent causes of quarrel arising. ' , • • The Assembly and the Council. . The Assembly which iis on : democratio lines (one vote for each signatory to the Covenant) controls'all tho works by means of its annual meeting. This in.' itself gives stability, but the work obviously needs an executive, with power . ,to act instantly in case of emergency. Hence the council of ten (subject, of course/ to the Assembly). This,, consists of one representative from each.of the big powers —Britain, France, Italv and Japan. (A seat reserved for U.S.A., and Germany might have one if she joined'the League). Also six representatives from the Assembly appointed on a majority vote two retiring every year and being ineligible for re-election. By this means ; every nation gets its representative, sooner or later, on the "Council of Ten," and learns the inner working of the League. i In practice this works admirably. ;:■ ..'?;. ; The Permanent Court. An important phase of the League's work is the Permanent Court of Justice. This is composed of eleven of the most eminent lawyers of the world, whose care is: > • _ (a) To watch for the slightest deviation from treaties. 1( , * (b) To .give.".judgment., on all legal points that arise respecting ' boundaries, etc. . \ ,-,:■:> ' ' /.:, ' /c) To proceed with, the Codification of International Law—one of the greatest needs of the age. ■•■■■.■■■.•.■■■ .-. The Court began its work with three important decisions on : the interpretation of the Versailles Treaty, i. Then it; gave a decision on a question (submitted to it by England and France) respecting the treatment of Nationals in Tunis and Morocco. . , Then .later it gave a decision as to the right of Germany to prevent ships passing through Kiel Canal laden with munitions for Poland. ' These decisions have , been accepted. i: -0.% Originally only six nations agreed , to refer all disputes between themselves to this ' Court. ; " These six have been increased to twenty-two and now all the 52 nations of the League have agreed that "if" they refer a case to this Court they will accept its decision as final. . The Administrative Organisation. _ The Secretariat-Gen works through I six committees; each dealing; with a different branch of its activities.; : : v ;.:.; ■ v Through one of these committees an international \ loan to Austria of £25,000,000 was negotiated; the only, instance in history of former enemies ' coming to the financial assistance of an enemy country. One of the most important branches of the League is that which deals with transEorfc and waterways. : In the past, wars ave frequently arisen through countries which have no outlet to the sea, demanding : the right to use the railways and ports of a country having such >. outlet, Disputes have also arisen in regard to the navigation of rivers '. flowing through different \ territories. All ;; these matters are now referred to the League organisation and agreements are arranged, drawn up, and Ratified oh terms) agreed to- by the different nations concerned. !,.*•■ . .v .« -■:■■ As to - the League's Labour Bureau, I cannot do / better than quote Mr. Barnesi, (the great labour leader), who says that there disputants meet at a round 'table conference ;■ and';' '"hammer out k their differences on . the- .alavil of- common sense."' ••'•'. — •■ "- ; : ■■. Future . Programme.. . j. . . The. programme, of the near future includes Internationalisation of Waterways, such as Suez,; Panama 'and Dardanelles, Canals, all coaling stations, • and ;i unification of Exchange,.; .;: • > '. - ' i'- ; On© •of the most valuable ;' features; of the League's. work is the. meticulous exactitude with' which every-detail of ; any settlement is provided for and registered,; With a world ; "on.edge'; and dominated by fear and hate, even the minutest thing may be as'"' a match to the powder magazine: ". ■ &. '•■ u&'-5 : 1 ' '■ ,'There was a time when on the border line' between U.S.A ~ and V Canada ; there were constant- incursions, reprisals, battles and other horrors. .Suddenly j the' peopla woke uo to the absurdity and wickedness of it; all. They said we will .havei;-,n<> more; ; Result —unbroken peace for '•' one hundred ; years, (the ■' Canadian' border being unguarded -alii time), , simply because a . business v proposition -was acted upon. Isn't it time ;to have. a similar adjustment all round ? ft isn't iit time anyway, for business men to rally to the. only organisation that, can secure this? . -