LEAGUE COUNCIL

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 222, 8 December 1927, Page 11

LEAGUE COUNCIL

SITTING COMMENCES By Cable.—Press Association. — Copyright. Reed. Noon. GENEVA, Wed. The Council of the League of Nations authorised the Health Commission to co-operate with the Commonwealth Government in an investigation of the health conditions in Papua, the New Hebrides, New Caledonia and the Solomons.

In the Council, M. H. Colyn, the Netherlands Minister of Finance, read the report of the International Conference on the Abolition of Import and Export Restrictions. The Council decided to give an opportunity to the Governments of Russia, Mexico and other non-member States to adhere to the convention, which M. Colyn said had been signed by 19 States. The convention will become effective in 1929, and should result in an immediate- improvement in trade conditions. BRITAIN AND RUSSIA The outstanding impression in League circles regarding the interview of M. Litvinoff, Russia, with the British Foreign Minister, Sir Austen Chamberlain, is not that it was abortive, which was inevitable, but the fact that the Soviet climbed down to make the first contact with Britain. It is generally considered to be a prelude to further advances, and that this move, together with the promised guarantees, virtually expresses the beginning of a modification of the Soviet policy toward the Western civilised States.

The League Council has adopted the report of the Press Conference regarding published news. Several delegates urged the improvement of transmissions from Geneva to London, whence they t could be distributed throughout the world. —A. and N.Z,