AGAINST WAR

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11223, 31 May 1922, Page 7

AGAINST WAR

LEAGUE OF NATIONS REPRESENTATIVES OF NEW ZEALAND BRANCHES MEET. CONFERENCE IN WELLINGTON. A conference of delegates from the various branches of the League of Nations ir. New Zealand was held yesterday in the Wellington City Council chamber. The delegates present were: ■ —Mesdames J. O. Andersen (Wellington), Spencer Clarke (Dunedin), M. J. Forde (Wellington), Misses E. Melville (Auckland), N. E. Goad (Wellington), Professor W. Henderson Pringle (Dunedin), Messrs M. Ayrton (Wellington), H. H. Cornish .(Poverty Bay), B. L. Dallard (Wellington), J. H. Stevens (Palmerston North), W. S. Bollings, A. Stevenson (Jolinsonville), D. Colquhoun (Dunedin), the Revs. Dr. Oibb, J. J. North, C. D. Duncumb (Palmerston North), and K. Ingiis (Wellington). Apologies were received from' Napier, Havelock North, and Rotorua. The delegates were welcomed by the Mayor, in a hriof speech. He hoped the conference would be successful in educating the people up to its ideals of peace. The abolition of war was a grand- thing to have in view, and he trusted the Wellington conference would make good headway.

DOMINION UNION FORMED. , Professor Pringle moved:- —“That a Dominion Union of the League of Nations federating the various branches he formed in New Zealand.”

The mover said New Zealand was tho only British dominion in which there was no such union. There was a union in Canada and the vice-presidents of it were tlio leaders of three political parties. The president of the league in South Africa was the Prime Minister. There were strong branches in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, and the tinje had come for New Zealand no longer to stand out of Hie movement. First, we should cooperate with the other British Dominions and then get into close contact with the union in England. The motion was seconded by Miss Melville, who said women’s societies in New Zealand had given definite support to the League of Nations. Being isolated, New Z'ealand might not feel keenly the urgent need for suoh a league. The motion was carried.

OFFICERS APPOINTED. The following were appointed officers of the union:—Patrons, Lord Jellicoe and the, Hon. W. F. Massey; vicepresidents, the Mayors of Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin, Rev. Dr Gibb, Mr P. J. O’Regan, Rev. G. W. Monkton, Mr A. Hamilton, M.P., Mr C. M. Luke, Mr T. Bloodworth, Miss Melville, Miss Coad, Professor Pringle, Professor Condliffe, Mr Barton, S.M., Mr Cruickshanks, S.M., Dr Andrew Cameron, Mr R. D. Maclean, Mr Thomas Somerville, Mr J. J. Clark, Mr M. H. Oram, Dr G. H. Uttley, Rev. Archbishop Julius. Tho appointment of a president was deferred. Mr D. Colquhoun was appointed secretary and treasurer pro tern. The following executive was appointed Messrs H. H. Cornish, P. J. O’Regan, P. Verschaffeldt, Rev. Dr Gibb, W. S’. Rollings, R. Ingiis, Miss Coad, with' one corresponding member each in Dunedin, Auckland, and Christchurch. • It was agreed to appoint the Dunedin branch as a committee on policy and research. KEYSTONE OF BRITISH FOREIGN POLICY. Professor Pringle was elected to the chair. He moved: “That the New Zealand Government should be invited to co-operate with the Imperial Government in making the League of Nations the keystone of the foreign policy of the British Empire.”’ He said that nothing had yet been done successfully to tackle the problems of Europe. The nations had been driven farther apart since the war, and there was less cooperation now than there was in 1919. That was due to the failure of the various European conferences. Tho present state of affairs could not go on. The British Government must put its trust in the League of Nations.

Miss Melville seconded the motion. Alterations in the wording of the motion were suggested, and it was_ canned in the following amended - form:—“That the New Zealand Government should be urged to make a public declaration at an early date that it 1 is prepared actively to co-operate with the Imperial Government in making the League of Nations the keystone of the foreign policy of the British Empire.”

THANKS TO SIR. JAMES ALLEN. The Rev. Dr. Gibb moved: —“That the Dominion League of Nations Union heartily thanks Sir James Allen for the services he has rendered to the cause of international peaoe on the Assembly of tho League of Nations and its various committee®- highly appreciates his declaration that the League of Nations should be completed at the earliest possible moment to the admiemision of all States, including our former enemies, and 1 trusts that Sir James may in all these things have the full and cordial support of the Government of the Dominion.” This was carried.

THE WASHINGTON CONFERENCE. The committee resolved:—“That this conference rejoices in the results of the Washington Conference, and as stTongly of opinion that the limitation of armamente contemplated by Article 8 of the Covenant of the League of Nations should be pressed forward with all convenient speed.”

FUTURE LEAGUE CONFERENCES. On the motion of. Miss Melville, it was resolved:—“That this conference in of opinion that, in order to maintain its world status -as a self-governing Dominion within ifclie British Commonwealth of Nations, New Zealand should be directly represented at all future conferences of the League of Nations, and also at the International Labour Conference and any other conference that may be set up under the League of Nations.”

Tho chairman, who seconded, said that New Zealand could not pull its full weight unless it w-as represented at tho various conferences. It was highly essential that -a country situated aa New Zealand was should bo brought into contact with the other nations of tho earth. The International Labour Conference aimed at levelling up the standard of labour as far as possible, with due allowance for countries suoh as China. Tho policy of New Zealand ought to ho to make it as easy as possible for Labour to play lie full part. WHERE THE POLITICIANS STAND.. It was decided to send copies of tho , resolutions jtp th» loaders of all poJi-

tied parties and to appoint a deputation to wait on the Prime Minister and to submit the resolutions to him. It was then moved: —“That it be an instruction to the policy committee to prepare a list of questions to be addressed to all candidates for Parliament at the following general election m order that their attitude towards the league may be clearly ascertained'.” The wisdom of this course was questioned by Mr M. Ayrton, but received general support-.

The chairman remarked that the league was 600 strong in Dunedin and big membership was expected in ,'ther parts of New Zealand. The motion was carried.