THE NEW COMMONWEALTH

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22510, 19 September 1938, Page 14

THE NEW COMMONWEALTH

»C THE IDITOB OF TXB PMEBB. Sir.—The grave deterioration in the international situation which has taken place within the last lew years has undoubtedly been the cause of profound anxiety among millions of men and women’ throughout the British En l pire. These feelings of anxiety are probably most acutely felt by th? se whose understanding of the position compels them to reject as impracticable such policies as isolation and ul-tra-pacifism. It is probably true to say that the vast majority pf our compatriots, no matter quarter of the Empire they may reside, recognise in the development of the collective system the only practical method of safeguarding world peace and thus of ensuring the welfare and security of the British Commonwealth. They realise that only by the inauguration of the reign of law and order in the international sphere can inter-State relationships be satisfactorily regulated. They remain loyal to the fundamental principles enshrined in the League of Nations Covenant. Unfortunately, however, they are compelled to admit that so far the League has completely failed to fulfil the major functions which it was hoped it would-be able to carry out, and this failure given rise to a natural tendency to discount the prospects # of establishing an. exfective collective system. In the belief that this brief statement correctly interprets the feelings of the preponderating majority of British men and women, we venture to direct attention to the activities of an organisation which, we submit, approaches the problem of world peace from a practical and constructive angle. The • purpose of the New Commonwealth Society can be simply stated-. The society advocates the development of the League of Nations from a mere debating society into an effective international authority. Its programme is confined to two concrete proposals—(l) the submission of , all disputes between nations, which cannot be settled by the processes of negotiation and conciliation, to the adjudication' of an impartial tribunal charged with the duty of pronouncing a decision in accordance with the principles of justice and equity; (2) the creation of an international police force to restrain aggression and, if need be, to enforce the decisions of the tribunal. Thus the New Commonwealth programme contains provision for ■ both peaceful change and collective security—the two essential requirements in any system of ordered government. Unfortunately, space prevents in your columns a more detailed exposition of these proposals. We should, however, be grateful if you would low us to emphasise that the New Commonwealth Movement is already arousing widespread interest. .More than 50 different nationalities are represented in its membership, and sections of the society have been brought into existence in no legs than 16 countries. Considerable numbers of men and women, prominent in their respective .spheres, are co-operating in its educational and research activities, and its programme has been endorsed by many important organisations. Preparations are now being made to form groups of ‘ the society in the British Dominions and colonies. We would, therefore, urge those' of your readers who recognise in the programme of the New Commonwealth the only constructive means of establishing the peace of the world on a sound and enduring basis, to communicate with the general secretary the New Commonwealth. Thorn ey House. Smith square, London. S.W.I. To those who may feel that the proposals which we have so briefly outlined are Utopian and idealistic, we would , point out -that they represent

nothing more than the application in the realm of inter-State relationships of those principles upon which the peaceful development of every civilised national community, has been based. We submit that the future of every unit of the British Commonwealth depends upon the inauguration of a new era of law and order In international affairs. For this reason alone, we are confident that the programme of the movement which it is our privilege to represent will call forth overwhelming support from among our compatriots overseas. —-Yours, etc.. WINSTON S. CHURCHILL. President (British section). DAVIES, Chairman. N. B. FOOT, General Secretary. London, August 30, 1938.