The Dominion. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1918. CHRISTMAS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 76, 24 December 1918, Page 4

The Dominion. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1918. CHRISTMAS

Though the war will-have left a vacant,chair at the Christmas feast in thousands of homes, yet British people the world'over will this year observe the great festival of fellowship' with thankful if saddened hearts. Our rejoicings' will be mingled with tears. We are glad that the actual fighting is over, but Ave cannot forget the brave men who will never return—the men who 'have died in order that we may live in security. They will , have an honoured place in our Christmas thoughts, and the joy of victory will be- restrained by the memory of the terrible price we have had to pay for it. And the peace settlement has still to be worked out. But we.have every reason- to be. thankful for the magnificent triumph already achieved. Peace is well in sight. Twelve months ago the' most, optimistic could not have imagined that the armies of the Allies would now be in Germany, that the Kaiser would have abdicated, and that, the representatives of the victorious Powers,would be on their way to the Peace Conference. The Christmas which we arc about to celebrate will be a much happier one than the four previous Christmases. But- the message of peace will once more be proclaimed to a much-troubled world. Anarchy in its maddest form prevails in Russia. Germany is in the throes of revolution. She is shaken by doubts and fears and torn by internal strife'. It is still uncertain whether she will be able to make the transition from an autocracy to a democracy without an orgy of crime and bloodshed similar to that which has temporarily deprived Russia of the right to be treated as a sane or civilised nation. The wounds of France, Belgium, and Serbia havij not had time to heal. The hopes of the world are at pre-, sent fixed on the Pence Conference, which will have to deal with some tremendously difficult and complex I problems. Will the Conference be able to convert the strong desire that this,war will be the last war into an actual fact? Will it make real the Ghvistmos. ideal -of peace on earth? Who can answer these questions?. But it is not unreasonable to expect that a stable settlement may be-devised in accordance with the dictates of impartial "Justice. It is not'wildly optimistic to believe that there is sufficient political wisdom and good-will in the world to re-establish the affairs of the nations on such firm foundations that mankind may enjoy, a long era of prosperity and concord. In so far as tne Conference succeeds in widening the realm of law and order and moralising international relationships, to that extent will it succeed in extending that Kingdom of Heaven—that reign of righteousness and peace—for the coming of which the Founder of Christianity taught His followers to work and pray unceasingly. The idea of a League of Nations to enforce peace is distinctly Christian. One of the aims of Christianity is the unification of the human race. The Christmas message was addressed l to all peoples, and not to any specially privileged 'nation, caste, or clique. The principles of demand that all nations'.shall live in unity and fellowship. Christianity docs not aim at the obliteration of special national characteristics and distinctions, but works for the. removal of the barriers that hinder the formation and maintenance of friendly - 'relationships among all peoples and races. Each natio'n has its own contribution to make to the common welfare. Each has its appointed place. This great ideal requires that nations shall be' regarded as "moral persons" bound by the moral law just as individuals are. A distinguished American jurist tells us that:

We oiiEjht not to separateHhe science of Public Law from that of Ethics, nor encourage the dangerous suggestion that Governments are not 60 strictly bound by the obligations of truth, justice, and humanity in relation to other Powers as they are in the management of their own local concerns. States or bodies politic are to be considered as moral persons having a public will, capable and frco to do right and wrong, inasmuch as they are collections of individuals, each of whom carries with him, into the service of the community, the same binding law of morality and religion which ought to control his conduct in private life. The Peace Conference may not be able to form such a, League of Nations as will put an end for ever to the possibility of any future war, but it will deserve the gratitude of mankind if it succeeds in bringing international affairs more completely than' heretofore within the reign of law, and in assuring a fuller and more effective recognition by the nations of their moral obligations to each other. This' would mean ' the creation of a family of free nations, and would be a big step towards that lonjrdesired era of universal good-will which was foretold and promised on the first Christmas morning by the heralds of the Prince of Peace.