LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16572, 3 November 1921, Page 8

LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

A WORKINC BODY. By Telegraph—Preß« Association —Copyright. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received November 3, 1.35 p.m.) LONDON, November 2. Sir James Allen presided at a luncheon given by the Australian and New Zealand Club to Lord Robert Cecil who delivered an address on the League of Nations. Ho said the League, like the nations of the British Empire, was fundamentally based on the principles of freedom and public opinion. If the League was to succeed public opinion in its favour must be fostered. The League already had done good work. He instanced the Austro-Hungarian States. They did not live very happily together and they looked to the League as the only hope of preventing this mass of timber from igniting. The question of Silesia also had been reduced from a state of acute inflam mation to a condition presaging early convalescence. Lord Cecil asked: “ Who would say that Australia and New Zealand had no interest in the peace of Europe ? ’* All the nations of the world were bound together economically. Every sheep farmer and every artisan in Australia and New Zealand was deeply affected even by the settlement of the boundaries of Albania. Even if Australia and New Zealand did not need the League the latter needed them Their point of view was of immediate value to the League. L°rd Robert Cecil paid a tribute to ‘*f’ 1 Tames All°n (High Commissioner) for his lucid exposition of matters at Geneva and Cantain Bruce (Australia) on his disarmament speech which was one of tho most notable delivered at the assembly.