LEAGUE OF NATIONS

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11412, 8 January 1923, Page 6

LEAGUE OF NATIONS

DELEGATE FROM UNION DOMINION VISIT OF MR WHEELER-BENNETT. THE WELLINGTON VISIT. (Special to “New Zealand Times.”) AUCKLAND, January 6. Formed in October, 1918, the League of Nations Union had at the signing of the Armistice a membership of 3000. To-day it numbers 205,000 members, with a monthly increase of 1000. In New Zealand there is a union with two branohes, one at Wellington and one at Auckland. The Auckland branch has about 100 members, and with the new year -a regular campaign is to be started with a view of increasing the interest of the public. There is at present in Auckland Mr J. W. Wheeler-Bennett, junior, a member of tlie English Union, the executive of which has asked him to visit similar organisations ■ during a tour of the world he is making. In Australia Mr Bennett found things connected with the support of the League very much “in the rough.” Over there he found jnst as iu England, that the great enemy of the organisations was the apathy of the public. It was extremely hard to raise public opinion to a League point of view, and that was a pity, as the whole object of the nnion was to educate the peoples of the world to realise that war did not pay, and; that the League was an insurance against war, which meant an insurance for the continuation of modem civilisation.

The union in England is a strong body, numbering 92(7 branches and 44 junior branches. .There were 500 or 600 voluntary speakers and 12 qualified -professional trained speakers to voice the union’s views and awaken public interest in the work of the self itf the education of the public the union has a strong committee that" deals with the disarmament question, and it was on the resolutions passed by this committee that the third Assembly, held in Geneva, based its discussion upon this important subject. From Auckland Mr Bennett goes to Botorua, then on a visit to the Wellington organisation, and thence back; to Sydney and on to the East by way of Brisbane. From' the East he goes across tq Canada, and by the time bis tour ia 'ended it is honed that the work of bringing the various organisations into something like line will be accomplished.