MISSION TO GENEVA

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16826, 13 December 1928, Page 7

MISSION TO GENEVA

DISARMAMENT PROBLEM GENEKAL RICHARDSON RETURNS Mater-General Sir George Richardson, the late Administrator of Western .Samoa, who represented New Zealand at the Assembly of the League of Nations, returned to Wellington by the Ulimaroa on Tuesday. He attended two sessions of the Mandates Commission, at which consideration was given to the report of the Royal Commission on the recent disturbances in the mandated territory of Samoa. His policy in Samoa was completely vindicated. His mission will he the subject of a report to the Government. General Richardson, in company with the other New Zealand delegate, Sir James Parr, High Commissioner in London, attended the Assembly of the League, which lasted five weeks, and as a member of the disarmament committee he did a great deal of valuable work. Referring to the complex problems of disarmament and its difficult situations, General Richardson informed .a Dominion reporter that he was satisfied t)h«t the representatives of the; British Empire were doing their part) to bring about disarmament. He was very impressed with the efficiency of the secretariat of the League of Nations. It was a wonderfully e-rficjent organisation and the League did an immense amount of good work. It was doing splendid work in philanthropic and social questions, but so far it had not achieved much progress in the matter of disarmament. He believed that the Preparatory Commission, which was preparing the ground for disarmament, was to meet at an early date. : "I have', nothing tc add to what has already been published after a thorough investigation by the Mandates Commission," replied General Richardson, when asked if he had any comment to make on the investigations into the Samoan question. "It should be Renown, how-" e\er," he added, "that this commission is a very efficient body, composed of leading men of different countries. The committee included several that were Governor)! of native territories, who have to deal with difficult problems concerning the 11 diffierent mandates coming under their supervision. Therefore, any judgment given by them could be: accepted as sound." 1 As a New Zealander, General Richi ardson said he was delighted to hear from the many different authorities he met abroad the expressions of appreciation of the good work done by Sir James Allen in the early stages of the League. General Richardson will leave for Auckland in the course of a few days, his present intention being to reside there temporarily.