LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

Waikato Times, Volume 93, Issue 15311, 11 August 1923, Page 3

LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

AN INSTRUCTIVE SPEECH. A very instructive talk on the League of Nations was given by Mr Leigh Hunt at Wellington. Mr Hunt spoke first of the consequences of war, the millions killed and maimed, the starving of women and children, and the devastating of cities. The moral degradation of war was even worse. War breeds extravagance, which it would take generations to weed out. Of course, it must not be thought that all the self-sacrifice was in vain. Ho thought the women here were the greatest sufferers, and if it could.be truly said that no nation can rise higher th'an its women, . it might also be said that the League of Nations cannot rise higher than the women of the world want it to. It was obvious, said Mr Hunt, that war must ultimately, go. Another war would mean the destruction of civilisation. The world must adopt the golden rule, the rights of the weak must be the dominant thought of the strong. Mr Hunt then proceeded to go through the covenant of the League of. Nations, which was put into every treaty made by the Allies, its object being to promote international cooperation. He explained that any member nation of the League cannot withdraw under two years. He..explained the constitution of the League, the •Assembly Gouncil, etc., and that each country had one representative, also that the Dominions had been admitted almost as separate . nations. Most things done by the League were of a permissive character, and had to be submitted to the Governments of tile different countries. . Such a thing as the reduction of armaments had to bo renewed every ten years, also all treaties, which had to be registered with the secretariat of the League, a great democratic advance as doing away with secret treaties. Then, if two nations under the League disagreed, they must put the matter before the Council; if a nation was not .satisfied with it's decision, it must give three months’ notice before declaring war. If that had been done before the late war, it is possible it might never have happened. The penalties were explained in the cutting off of trade relationships with the offending country. Mr Hunt spoke of the mandates, and explained how they were held, and gave a resume of the issues before the public at the last American Presidential election, and how these wore used to keep America ont of the League. President Harding had been committed to a policy against joining Ihe League, but it was significant .that his last speech made a great plea to the American people to take their place among 'the nations of the world in keeping the peace of the world.