LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

Waikato Times, Volume 113, Issue 18876, 21 February 1933, Page 2

LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

NEW APPOINTMENTS MADE SIR E. DRUMMOND RETIRING. After thirteen years' work, Sir Eric Drummond, the Secretary-General to the League of Nations, is retiring at the end of June.' His place will be taken by Monsieur Joseph Avenol, a Frenchman who, as Deputy-Secretary-Gcneral, has been his second-in-com-Geenral, has been his second-in-com-mand since 1923. Several other changes in personnel have already taken place. Owing to the expiration of their contracts, the Italian and German Under-Secretarics-General left Geneva at the end of last year, their places being filled by men of the same nationality. The new German Under-Secretary-General is Dr. Trendelenberg. He has been associated with the economic -and financial work of the League for many years, and knows the workings of the Secretariat well. As ills first task he will take over the supervision and control of the organisation of the forthcoming World Economic Conference. There is no doubt that this side of the League during the next few years is due to become as important as the disarmament .section, for all the League’s efforts are now being expended to bring about economic as well as material disarmament.

The new Italian Is M. Pilotti, another man who for several years has had dealings with the League as an Italian delegate. He will carry on with the work that used to be done by the German Under-Secretary-General, Herr Dufour-Feronce, social work (drugs and white slave traffic), and intellectual co-operation or education. M. Pilotti was the first of the newlyappointed higher members of the Secretariat to take the oath of allegiance to the League in public before the members of the 'Council. In order that an Englishman may be in one of the higher posts of the League, Captain Walters, who has acted as Sir Eric’s right hand man for several years, is to lie promoted to the rank of Under-Secretary-General and will look after internal adminsi'tration. The post of Deputy-Secre-tary-fieneral rendered vacant by the advancement of M. Avencol is most probably to be filled by Mr Phelan, an Irishman who lias been head of the diplomatic department of the International Labour Office for the last 12 years. It will he a good appointment, if it is made since Mr Phelan was in the 'British Ministry of Labour during the war. Lastly, there is some talk -that Mr Ilambro, of Norway, who lias been one of the keenest critics of the League -at the last four Assemblies, will lie made an Under-Secretary-Gcneral so as to keep the point of view of the smaller countries Avell to the fore.