LEAGUE OF NATIONS

Southland Times, Issue 20396, 27 January 1928, Page 3

LEAGUE OF NATIONS

SOUTHLAND BRANCH OF UNION. A NEW ZEALANDER’S PROGRESS. MR WILSON’S PROPOSED VISIT. A meeting of the Southland branch of the League of Nations Union was held last evening when the president, Mr G. Cruickshank, occupied the chair. The chairman stated that owing to the absence of the acting-secretary on holiday a number of members were not advised and he wished to offer his apologies to them. An apology for non-attendance was received from Mr W. M. Macalister. The principal business of the evening was to make arrangements for Mr Wilson’s visit on February 15. Mr iWlson is a man of importance at Geneva. He is one of the personal assistants to the Secretary-General. He is conversant with all the negotiations carried on by the inner circle of the Secretariat, and in close contact with the world’s leading statesmen attending the Council and Assembly. He is entrusted with special commissions, and was sent to Japan through China. He has therefore a fund of interesting information at his disposal. Mr Wilson is a Christchurch young man who took his M.A. degree at Auckland, after which he joined the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. After the war he went to Oxford, and took further degrees. Then he sat for the examination for the League of Nations office, and was the successful candidate out of 800 applications for the position. He is now one of the rising young men on the staff of the Sec-retary-General and is enjoying a muchneeded furlough in the Dominion, occasionally lecturing on the League of Nations Union of his own goodwill. Mr Cruickshank considered it a good idea to hold a public lecture, as many people would like to hear what Mr Wilson would have to say about the League. It was encouraging to find a New Zealander taking such a high place as an associate of Sir Eric Drummond. A lecture would also interest those who were not closely identified with the League, and would induce them to become members. He was sure the general public would appreciate what Mr Wilson had to say. Mr Percy Shaw was of the same opinion and suggested that steps be immediately taken to give Mr Wilson a fitting welcome. It was not only a case for the committee, but it should be helped by churches, school staffs and all public bodies. Arrangements should be advertised as soon as they were finalised. Other speakers who concurred were Dr. McCaw, the Rev. J. Lawson Robinson, Messrs George and A. E. Featherstone and W. C. Denham. A sub-committee was then set up to deal with the matter of Mr Wilson’s visit.