The Dominion SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1918. BRITAIN AND THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 56, 30 November 1918, Page 6

The Dominion SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1918. BRITAIN AND THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS

MaiVV people seem to regard the. establishment of a league of-nations to enforce peace, as an infallible cure for all the ills' that flesh is licir to. They think that war can be abolished by a stroke of the. pen, and that the coming Peace Conference will as a matter ■ of course usher in an everlasting era of universal ■ peace. Eazy ideas . are it broad regarding the functions, ofthe jiroposed league and the results of its creation.; It would, .of course, lessen the tremendous btir-de.n.-caused by the ever-growing armies and navies' of. the. nations of the world, but it would not abolish armies ■ and-navies altogether. In a speech- at 'Dundee Mr. Wixsto.v Chukchil'l declared that the formation of a league of nations would be a substitute for the supremacy of the British Navy.. Before the war we knew that our safety as an Empire depended upon sea. power, and the experience of the last four years has burned this truth into our very hearts:. ■-The' Navy, played such a .tremendous part in..-the: terrific struggle in which we have been engaged that we cannot imagine how our world-wide interests could bo adequately safeguarded if Britain ceased to be mistress of the seas. The fact that the United States is preparing a big programme of naval expansion is a good' indication that President Wilson, does not think that the ".establishment.of a league of nations will mean that the need for building warships will ..disappear., ..If it is necessary for America to have a' strong and efficient navy, it is still more necessary for Britain to maintain her position-, as the greatest sea power in the world. It may, however, be possible for the Peace Conference to find a way of limiting armaments which would not impair our capacity _to defend ourselves, and which would still give us a' margin of naval superiority sufficient to guarantee our security. Every proposal for- the limitation of warship construction will have to be very closely scrutinised by our representatives at the .Conference, and ■they will have to take great' care when dealing with matters relating to the ."freedom of the seas" lest they.should accent any arrangement, which would put* Britain at a disadvantage. ■ But'it-would be a' great mistake to jump to the conclusion that the establishment of a league of nations to enforce peace must of necessity be irreconcilable with- British interests: As a matter of fact (here , is a very widespread desire for the formation of such.a league among' British, people in all parts-of-the vork], and it will be a great'disappointment if the- Peace Conference fails to briiig .it into existence. •• Dr. Jacks, of Oxford, is certainly right when he declares that the terrible experience of the last four years has driven the civilised nationsinto hot rebellion against the whole business of war. "There never 'was -a time in the history i>l the world when war was so bitterly hated as at the present moment, never a time when men were so ardently longing for the hour to strike when good-fellowship might, again become the law of life. And nothing but'this spirit of fellowship will save us. Civilisation is at the parting of the ways. It must either choose good-will or perish." - There is: yjgent need for the creation of some ■siipernational authority by means of which international relationships shall be brought within the reign of law. If this is impossible then the outlook is gloomy indeed. The nightmare of '"(he'next war" will.continually vex the souls of the great Powers, and 'all the resources . of science will - be requisitioned for the work of destruction. The world will have no real peace until disputes between nations arc settled by justice and reason, instead of by force. Mr. J. A-. B, Mabriott, in.an article in the Eibbe.ri Journal, reminds us that for the individual citizen-law is not tho antithesis.but the complement of liberty. ."Can law also secure liberty to nations? This much at least is certain: that if brute force is to supply the only cement of tb/; European edifice, small States, if not small nations, are doomed to extinction.' In a real European Commonwealth,, resting upon the .sanction of law, they may still find a place." Any league of nations to, enforce peace must fail unless it has a strong moral backing. To rnsurn its success there must be a wide and deep nioralisation of public opinion as regards international relationship.' ' There' .must be, fays M.it. Maumott, a real change of heart, among the nations; there .-"must-, in the language of the Christian ethic, be repentance. "Without such a change of heart (he erection of the elaborate machinery of supernationalism would be a vain and delusive enterprise; given' a. change of-heart the machinery might prove to be superfluous." But the likelihood of the machinery proving superfluous is very remote, amd it would, lie sheer pessimism to make up our minds that.it is impossible to bring international disnules within tin; realm of law. Phesioent Wilson, Mis. Lloyd George, Mr. .Balfouh, and other leading statesmen have promised to do tbc'r utmost, to make this war the last war, and men ot gdod-will the world over will earnestly hope that their efforts will not be in vain.