LEAGUE OF NATIONS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 10851, 17 March 1921, Page 4

LEAGUE OF NATIONS

STATUS OF DOMINIONS “NO WEAKENING OF THE IMPERIAL TIE.” STATEMENT BY PREMIER. The League of Nations when inan* gmated, declared Air Massey in Par. liair.ent last night, was the best idea in tlie world, and be hoped yet Tlie Hon. j. A. Hanan: That it will bring about disarmament. Air Alassey: That it will, at all events, make wars less frequent. (Hear, hear.! But, he added, we had to do our duty. Wo must be prepared, be ready armed, for whatever might occur. (Hear, hear.) He did not think that the fact of onr joining the League of Nations as an individual nation had weakened in any degree our connection with the Empire. Air T. AI. Wilford (Leader of the Opposition) : Hear, hear. If lie thought that for a moment, declared Air Alassey, he would say that the time had come for us to leave the League of Nations, and content ourselves with being connected with it through the Empire to which we belong. (Hear, hear.) Air Hanan: Our joining it has improved our status. (Hear, hear.) Air Alassey said that he did not propose to say anvthing about that. He was content with denying the assertion that it had weakened onr connection with the Empire. (Hear, hear.) Other nations—he would not say anything further than that—envied our Empire for the splendid position it held in world politics and in the world’s trade. They envied it for its Dominions and dependencies: and. perhaps more than all, for the splendid position our Empire held among the nations of the earth for fair play and justice. That had been exemplified by the fact that every one of the native races under our rule had volunteered for the great war. (Hear, hear.) Mr Hanan: Do you favour an increased subsidy to the British Navy ? Air Alassey said that the time would come for us to do so. But at present we were not able to pay more. H.AI.S. Chatham would probably cost us £250,000 a year, and that proved that we were prepared to do onr duty ; and when things changed and a proper scheme of defence waa arranged, he believed thoroughly that we should maintain the naval supremacy of the Empire and that New Zealand waa prepared to do her share. (Hear, hear.) That was more important for the next ten ‘ years than land defence, though that should not be. neglected. But there were other methods of strengthening the Empire. There was the fiscal method, the way of trade. He referred to Imperial preference, which had been affirmed in all parts of the Empire. It had been affirmed in Britain, though not much had been dyne yet in the way of pushing it. That affirmation had been arranged at the Imperial Cabinet when he was present. (Hear, hear.) Another matter tnat was arranged was the bringing into operation ot the idea that people who wanted to leave the United Kingdom should still remain under the British Hag—(hear, hear)—and it was time that that was done. (Hear, hear.) We had in the past lost too many of our rsoe Ijrtheir going outside the Empire. yHear, hear.) . Air Hanan: What about Imperial shipping concerns , Air Alassey: That is another connection ; and something has already been arranged. A board has been set up to do its level best for British shipping, and see that British ships are built in British shipyards, manned by British seamen, and carry British goods; and also look after the harbours of the Empire, and see that our merchant shipping is kept up to the best possible Standard. (Hear, hear.) He was sorry to sav that not much had yet been done; hut he hoped that in years to come we would have something substantial and satisfactory for it. (Hear, hear.) He did not believe that the day of the capital ships had gone. But if rt bad, whether the aeroplane or the airship or the submarine took its place, he was convinced that Britain would still hold its own. Neither America, nor Germanv, nor anyone else had been able to beat our Rolls-Royce aeroplane engine; and ours were the best ’planes at the end of the war. (Hear, hear.) He did not want,To see another war: hut we must be prepared for whatever might befall; and he believed that whether on land, on sea, or in the air our men would be able to hold their own, (Apnlanse.) , Mr H. Atmore (Nelson) regretted that the Prime Alinister had not a more robust faith in the League of Nations. Personally, he believed that it was the most noble conception that had ever entered into the mind of man. It was simply doing on an international scale what the community did when it first organised a police force. (Hear, hear.)