POWERS IN CONFERENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19119, 10 September 1925, Page 9

POWERS IN CONFERENCE.

ASSEMBLY OF THE LEAGUE.

EUROPEAN SECURITY PLANS. A SPIRIT OF OPTIMISM. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright* A. and N.Z. GENEVA, Sept. S. The Assembly of the League of Nations has up to the present been remarkably slow in settling down to serious work. This is possibly due to the fact that the most important items on the agenda, namely, arbitration, security and reduction of armaments, has, by force of circumstances, been made what might be called an "off-stage episode," which is at present not ripe for a fulldress rehearsal. Even though this item, by tacit consent, has so far been screened from tlio limelight, the very fact that so many foreign Ministers arc at Geneva at tho moment makes the security pact • issuo transcend all others.

This morning the* Assembly sot for scarcely one hour. This period was spent in ratifying the mere formalities of electing committees. The Assembly then adjourned until to-morrow. Tlie British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Austen Chamberlain, and the French Premier, M. Painlove, were the guests at a luncheon given by international journalists. Immediately afterwards they boarded a car and sped to Aix les Bains, whera the Prime Minister of Britain., Mr. Stanley" Baldwin, is spending a holiday.

The word went round that this was merely a courtesy call, but undoubtedly, it was a case of "tea for three," in a political setting. All this was a preliminary to a private meeting to be held to-morrow morning in Geneva between Mr. Chamberlain and the Foreign Ministers of other countries. Hopes for Pact Agreement, There is the best authority for stating that the jurists have made such progress that tiho four Allies and Germany have drawn up individual texts for tho drafting of a pact. It is no secret that the British Foreign Office regards tho headway that has been made as being far in excess of its hopes. Competent observers declare that no more than one month hpn.ee the five Powers will meet, probably in Northern Italy, almost agreed on a Western pact and confronted only by the problem of finding common ground on the security of? the eastern frontiers. There was sufficient in tho unpublished speeches of Ministers at the journalists' luncheon to indicate a mood of high optimism. It is probablo that a special session of the League will bo held at Lausanne at the end of October, or early in November, to consider the admittance* of Germany and details of a pact. Only, one delegate from each country will boi present. Contributions of Dominions. Tho draft of the League's new Budget) involves Austral is, in u slightly higher! contribution. The amount budgeted is £898,000. This will be divisible into 937 parts,; of which Australia will ba asked to provide 27 parts, or an increase of one compared with last year. IJor new contribution, will thus be . £24,809.

New Zealand's contribution will rn main unchanged, namely, 10 parts, equalling £9584. The finances of the League are re* garded as being so satisfactory that th« committee of jurists charged with drawing up a scheme for the building of u conference hall will recommend the purchase of a detached site to gsrmit of additions; being made. The nucleus of the structure will include an Assembly Hall and offices for the secretariat.

A new development of the activities of" the League is the number of smaller countries who have appointed liaison officers at Geneva to keep in daily touch with the affairs of the League. Canada and the Irish Free State were the first Dominions to adopt the new plan.