LEAGUE OF NATIONS UNION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22632, 25 July 1935, Page 14

LEAGUE OF NATIONS UNION

MEETING OF OTAGO COUNCIL There was a large attendance at the monthly meeting of, the Otago Council of the League of Nations Union on Tuesday evening. The president, Dr Merrington, welcomed the representative; of the Federation of University Women, Mrs Peter Milne. Mr Saunders gave a short address on the work of various committees in London, dealing with refugees from Germany. The conditions of the few Jews remaining in that country, as of others opposed to the Nazis, was indeed desperate. Not allowed to obtain employment, the suspicions and espionage rendered it unsafe for even private assistance to be extended to friends and co-religionists. The High Commission set up by the League o£ Nations, the chairman of which was Mr James M'Donald, of New York, acted as a co-ordinating body for the many national and private relief committees' active in all the countries bordering on Germany—in Amsterdam.'-Palestine, Paris, Prague, and Rome. It conducted negotiations with Governments for transfer, transport, and passports for'refugees. The financial obstacles confronting all committees were tremendous. The major portion of the funds had come from Jewish organisations and from private Jewish sources with remarkable liberality. Still the destitution of the refugees in Paris and Prague was very acute. Mr Saunders said he had personally visited the Continent, including Germany, acting as almoner for a London committee.

Dr Merrington thanked Mr Saunders for his interesting information, regretting that time was necessarily curtailed owing to :he nature of the business of the evening.

Ifc was reported that the annual conference would be held in Wellington in August, and Otago, on the basis of membership, is entitled to seven delegates. The secretary, Mrs Denton Leech, was appointed to act as one representative. Dr Merrington reported that with Mr H. P. Kidson and the Rev. J. Douglas Smith, he had_ led a deputation to the Returned Soldiers Association inviting that body to become a member of the branch with representation on the councii. The deputation had been courteously received by the president, Colonel Falconer, and the decision of the association would be communicated in due course.

Mr N. S. Woods presented a report on the Schools' Education Committee, which had under consideration a scheme for 1936.

It was resolved to send a letter of sympathy to Dr Gibb in his serious illness. Mr W. G. Whittleston, on behalf of the Youth Group, stated that addresses had been given by the Rev. C. H. Olds. Dr Fisher. Mr Wilson, and Mr A. B. Powell. The average attendance at the weekly meetings had been between 25 to 30. Discussions and debates had filled some evenings.

The secretary reported on the number of people borrowing books and coming for information. Four broadcast talks had been arranged for August, and two speakers had been secured for country audiences without callins on the city members. The number of new enrolments since May was 21. which brought the membership to 645, with 20 in the Youth Gnjnp.