THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 16895, 17 November 1920, Page 3

THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

ASSEMBLY AT GENEVA

SPECIAL COMMISSIONS.

By Telegraph—Press Assn.— Copyright.

LONDON, Nov. 16 v The Assembly of the .League of Nations debated lengthily the rules and procedure. . Italy objected to the acceptance or provisional rules until they had been properly examined. Mr. Millen (Australia) thought they might find themselves in a difficulty it they accepted the rules en bloc without making provision for a suspension of any .of them if it was found they hampered, debate. The president informed Mr. Millen that provision would be niado to modify any rule. It was decided to appoint six commissions, the first to deal with procedure, amendments of tho covenant, and relations between the council and the assembly; tho second, technical organisation. dealing with hygiene, white slave traffic, opium traffic, tho transit question, and economic and financial organisation; the third, a permanent International Court; the fourth, tho league’s budget; tho fifth, new admissions to tho league; and the sixth, the reduction of armaments, the preparation of the leaguc’A economic weapon, and mandates.

It was originally intended to have a separate commission to deal with mandates, but M. Bourgeois©, during the discussion, declared that the question of mandates wax not A - pc for deThe mandates would require to be examined by the council before submission to the assembly and therefore it was decided to add the mandates to the work of the sixth commission.— Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn. .THOUGHT FOB PRESIDENT . WILSON. ' LONDON, Nov. 15. A noteworthy feature of the assembly is that it includes '3B members of the diplomatic corps, principally representing the smaller Powers, while the remaining members are mostly men with political careers behind them.

The absence of any outstanding statement or activity concerned with the restoration of Europe robs the sittings of much interest.

Sir. G. A. Barnes (a British delegate and a former Cabinet Minister) moved to send a telegram to President Wilson wishing him a speedy restoration to health. Mi-, Doherty (Canada) objected to Mr. Barnes’ suggestion, presumably owing to America’s abstention from tbo league. The assembly, however, accepted Mr. Barnes’ motion. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. 1 PRELIMINARY BUSINESS. A CANADIAN EXPLANATION. (Received Nov. 17, 9.15 a.m.) LONDON, Nov. 16. The Geneva correspondent" of the Australian Press Association states that Mr. MUlen fears, under the preliminary rules of procedure of tho League of Natibns there is a tendency to stampede tho Council’s decision through the plenary sittings. , Mr. Doherty (Canada) explains that his reported reference to tho motion to send a cablegram to President Wilson was! erroneous. It arose through a mistake in,interpretation. Ho had exclaimed that Canada did not wish to pay a tribute to tho memory of any particular man. This referred to the proposal to do homage to Rousseau. Ho understood the interpreter to say that Canada would probably abstain from agreeing with tho cablegram to President Wilson, but this was not so. Norway, Denmark, and Sweden each sent women reserve delegates experts on social questions. The Swedish and Norwegian ladies occupied seats_at today’s sitting. Tho Assembly decided to permit tho head of a delegation to nomiuate substitutes on the various commissions, such substitutes shall not hold tho chairmanship of a commission. ■Mr. Milieu objected to tho proposals of Signor Tittoni and Mr. Eishcr that the assembly should elect the chairmen and vice-presidents of tho commissions. Ho Reid that the commissions should elect tho chairmen. , India desired that three of the vicepresidents should be non-Europeans, in view of the fact that this was a world s League. . ! . The proposal of Signor Tittoni and Mr. Fisher was adopted. Baron Islui (Japan) supported India s suggestion, hut both he and the Indian delegate decided, in view of the sympathetic speeches hy European delegates, not to press tho\niattor further at present.—Aus.-N.Z, Cable Assn. _ French delegates urged that the sittings of the various commissions set up to examine phases of the League’s work should be secret. Lord Robert Cecil declared that the League could only live by favour of tho public opinion of the world, therefore it should take tho public into the fullest confidence. Nothing would produce a better impression than a definite move by the League of Nations in the direction of the fullest publicity, thus getting rid of underground negotiatian.: He moved an alternative ot the procedure rule to enable each commission as far as possible to sit in publie. / Sir James Allen supported Lord Robert Cecil, but thought each commission should decide how far it would admit the press, if not the public. Mr. Fisher favoured the modified French suggestion that a complete official report should be issued, instead of admitting the public. , Finally Mr. Fisher accepted tho French revision, which was adopted.