LEAGUE OF NATIONS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 42, 13 November 1918, Page 3

LEAGUE OF NATIONS

VIEWS OF VISCOUNT GREY

In a pamphlet entitled "Tho League of Nations" Viscount Urcy lays down the lullowing essential conditions for the formation ol a League of Nations to enforce peace (1) The idea must be adopter) with earnestness and conviction by tho executive heads of States. It must.become an essential part of their practical l«licy, one of their chief reasons for being or continuing to bo responsible for tho policy of their States. They must not adopt it only to render lip service to other persons, whom it is inconvenient; or ungracious to displease. Ther must lead, and not follow; tliey must compel if necessary, and not be compelled. . ..ii (2) The second condition rsscati.il to the foundation and maintenance of a League of Nations is that tho Governments and peoples of tho States willing to found it understand clearly that it will impose some limitation upon the national action of each, and may entail come inconvenient 'obligation. The smaller and weaker nations will have rights that must be respected and upheld by the league. The stronger nations must forgo the right to make their interest? prevail against the weaker by force:, and all the States must forgo the right in any dis-puto to resort to force before other methods of settlement by confcrence, conciliation, or, if need be, arbitration, have been tried. This is the limitation.

Tho obligation is Ibat if any nation will not observe this limitation upon ifc> national action;, if it breaks the agreement which is tlib basis of the league, rejects all peaceful methods of settlement ami resorts to force, the other nations must one and all use their combined force against it. The economic pressure that such a league could use would in itself bo very powerful, and tho action of some of the smaller States composing the league could perhaps not go beyond economic pressure, but those States that have power must be ready to use all the force, economic, military, or naval, that they possess. .It must be clearly understood and accepted that defection from or violation of the agreement by ono or more States does not, absolve all or any of the others from th# obligation to enforce the agreement.

Are the nations of the world prepared now, or will they be ready after this war, to look steadily and clearly at this aspect of the League of Nations, at the limitations and obligations that it will impose, and to say whole-hearted and convinced as they have never been before, 'Wo will accept and undertake them' ?

Nothing hut experience convinced individuals that law was better than anarchy to settle tho relations between themselves. And the ranetion that maintains law is the application'of force with the support of the great majority of individuals behind it. la it possible that the experience of this war will produce a settled opinion of the same sort to regulate the relations of States with each other and safeguard the world from war, which is in fact anarchy? The establishment and maintenance of a League of Nations, such ag President ii i son hns advocated, is moro important nnd essential to a secure peace than any if the actual terms of peace that ma'y conclude the war; it will transcend thorn ill/. best of {hem will bo worth little, unless tho future relations of States are to be on a basis that will prevent a recurrence of militarism in any