LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XLIV, Issue 14037, 21 April 1920, Page 3

LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

(Per Press Association.') CHRISTCHURCH, April 20. Sir James Allen made an important statement with reference to the procedure to be adopted .by the British do-minions-in placing before the League of Nations their representations on matters coming within the jurisdiction of the League. New Zealand, in accepting the. mandate for Samoa, said Sir James- Allen, had done the right and proper thing. It would not have been right to allow the Mother Country to shoulder all the troubles arising out of the readjustment of affairs under the Peace Treaty. In addition, New Zealand ought not to be self-centred. Certain responsibilities arose in connection with the mandate over Samoa, with re,spect to the civil government of the islands. When the matter was first considered it was thought that the method that should be adopted ought to be by legislation : that the New Zealand Parliament should pass a Bill containing the constitution and other matters affectyig the civil administration of Samoa. 'When this suggestion was placed before the Imperial authorities they advised that what was sought to be attained by legislation sbould be effected by an Imperial Order-in-Council. which in turn should be made an Order-in-Council by the New Zealand Government. Out of this matter arose the question as to whether the British dominions should not deal direct with the League of Nations and not through the Mother Country. Some of the Britsih dominions desired to deal direct with the League, and New Zealand had been asked whether it desired to do so, or to transmit its representations to .the League through the Mother Country before its representations were forwarded to the League. New Zealand favored forwarding its representations to the League through the Mother Country. It was suggested there should be a secretariat in London to deal with the representations from the British dominions to the League, which would act as a. sort of clearing-house, and co-ordinate the representations of the British dominions. Negotiations on the subject were still proceeding: Sir James Allen expressed the opinion that for the.timebeing, and for a long time to come,'; itwas desirable that the dominions' .repre. sentations to the League should be made through the proposed secretariatin'Lpndon. The other procedure of independent representations by : the J.domiflio'ns direct to the League might-.lead'to-the dominions separating from " the - Mother ■ Country and ■ becoming " independent. [Realising the absolute necessity : ,for the component.parts"of;the Empire "sticking together," New' Zealand favored ; th» proposal -that 'all representations to the League of- Nations should be made through the Mother Country.