THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18341, 3 September 1921, Page 6

THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS

ENLIGHTENING ’ PUBLIC-OPINION. NEW SCALE OF CONTRIBUTIONS (Feou Oub Own ISobkessondent.) , LONDON. July 6. League of : Nations Day was celebrated in London' by a great mass demonstration : in Hyde Pai'k, when • tne. Arcnbishop .of Canterbury and Lord Robert Cecil were among tlie many eminent; speakers.. Numbers of addresses were delivered from eight different platiorms Many foreign countries, represented by detachments in national costume, took part/ in a procession to the Park, 'and the programme Was a, senes of national pageants. , - • Lord Grey, of Faiioden, who is the president of the League, of Nations Union, •writing on tne \eve or the cerebrations wiiicn ■ were neld ail over the country, expressed once again his faith in the tuturo of the league. “The need for a league to pn# serve peace becomes more, ana not-less, evident,” he said. “Without some-such organisation , the Governments of the nations who desire peace will be as powerloss to avert war when a Crisis comes as they were in 1914. . But the vitality of a League of Nations and the policy of Governments must depend upon puhlic opinion. It is- to keep public opinion informed, alert, and eiiective that the League of Nations Union exists, and the first answer to every citizen wno wishes to nelp tne league is, ‘join the League of Nations Union.’ The president of the . United States cannot join the league. I behove that the presiaent and the people of -the United States have tlie same, desires lor world peace as those of us in this country who are tho strongest supporters of the League of Wo Know that tne influence of the United States must be very, great, and mhy very likely be decisive, hi ft world crisis. . We shall welcome that influence, in whatever way the United States decides to exercise it. But, we cannot scrap the League of Nations, it cannot .be doubted that this democracy desires to avoid future 1 war.' Democracy, if it be resolved and alert, may be more powerful in , policy and action than any lonn of Government the world lias known; but if it be apathetic and undecided it becomes pitiably helpless. 1 It needs organisation to focus opinion and make it effective. It is to provide such an organisation to secure through’public opinion that, whatever party be in power, the policy of this country shall be a League of Nations policy, that The League of Nations Union exists.” REASONABLE PUBLICITY.

In advocating the objects, of the union, The limes says: “Of ail states of.mind in regard to questions of such supreme importance as the world’s peace, apathy is the least excusable. §ae' critical spirit is, by comparison, grateful and refreshing. Advocates of the league recognise its imllorfcctions, und welcome hclpiul criticism, ivloro assent is perhaps its most dangerous enemythough, if this is at times all that the great mass of the people can give, the reason is not lack of faith in its principles or lack of energy and sincerity in .those who are working to develop them, but the secrecy that too often surrounds its deliberations. Foreign politics, as a game played in secret by Chancelleries, ended, or should have ended, with the war; and we were taught to think that in future the policy of which the effects would be public should be public also. Yet even the League of Peaoe has erred in this respect almost as.badly as the old diplomacy, as though the whole success of its work did not depend on enlightened public opinion, and as if that were possible without reasonable publicity.’’ SCALE' OF CONTRIBUTIONS. The committee appointed on the recommendation of the Assembly to make proposals, for revising the scale of contributions to the league has presented n report to the council. This committee proposes that the' members of the league should be divided into categories based upon the relation/ between the revenue and population of any particular country to that of the rest of the world. The nations fall into seven well-defined groups, the first containing the United Kingdom and France, with an average of slightly over 12 per cent., and the last being composed of little States like Liberia, Albania, and Guatemala, with - an average of 1 per cent. The _ committee proposes that the expenses of the league should he paid in the proportion 90, 65, 35, IS, 10, 5,2, instead of, os present, under the Universal Postal Union system, in the proportion of 25, 20, 15, 10, 6,3, L Under the new

proposals ■ the British Empire, will benefit considerably, for the only first-clast contribiitant will be Great Britain, India ranking second-class, Canada ranking thirdclass, Australia and Africa ranking 'aa fourth-class, 1 and New. Zealand in the fifth class. To carry into Effect the proposals of the committee it will be necessary to amend the Covenant; and, pending^, such an amendment, a transition" re-allooation 'in the same proportion as the Universal Postal Union, but based upon the findings of the committee as to percentages of population and revenue, has been put forward. . ’•. ■ " ’ " DISARMAMENT,

Such matters as the use'in war of poison gas and other deadly devices, the question of rostribting, trade in munitions of war, and the practicability) of creating an international army 'and -police -force have .been under* consideration by, - .the League of Nations Union _ Committee, General Scelv • acting, as. chairman. The uraittee, which has just presented its final report, takes a very grave view of private manufacture of armaments, and, regards all - trade in. munitions of ~ war, cluding all firearms and ammunition, _as requiring control. As a basis for discussing general reduction:in armaments, it recommends that the league should be urged to find out from its members wligL. armaments they require for: Preserving order at home; preserving order in and protecting colonies and dependencies and protecting them from attack by savages; and protecting themselves generally from external aggression by rival States and enforcing international obligations J>y common action. ' - - FINANCES OF THE LEAGUE; The provisional Budget of . the, League of Nations for 1922 will be submitted, to the council during its present sessioq for consideration -and approval, prior to. it being laid before the Assembly, in, September. Tho amount budgeted is smnewhat higher than, the sum for .1921, but this is accounted for principally by fluotua* tions in exchange. ■ The. Budget of the league is estimated II U B ol £ francs. The ■ total estimates come •. to 23,768,846 :go\C francs (about £1,132,000). On the present basis of dividing up the leagues expense) Great Britain’s share of This would-be about £53,000. The chief items of- the Budget arc:—Assembly and Council meet ing 8 r about £47,619 (of this amount th* Assembly meeting .will £3B 000); general services, »29£4dU epqcia organisations of the League, 229,000;.capi tal expenditure. STS.OW tthis is pnncipanj composed of the fourth and fifth,, mstal mmits for the Hotel National); worlan; canital replacement,.. £2SM); Parhamen Court of International Justice, £75,(W0 International Labour Organisation The rapporteur on- the subject is Dr V. A Wellington Ivoo, the representative o China. ■