MR LLOYD GEORGE.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 September 1923, Page 3

MR LLOYD GEORGE.

LATEST CABLE NEWS

THE GRAEC’O-ITALIAX DISPUTE. AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. The following and all of Mr Lloyd George’s articles, are copyright by United Press m America and all countries, copyright in Australasia by the Australian Press, Copyright, in Britain by the Daily Chronicle. (Reproduction in full nr part prohibited).

LONDON, Si*pt. 7. Mr Lloyd George writes,: —"The shores of the Mediterranean, from time immemorial, have been the scene of eruptions and earthquakes. They generally break out without warning. Sometimes they are devastating in their effects, and sometimes they provide a brilliant spectacular display, terrifying in appearance, hut not causing much damage. To which of these categories does the last eruption, by Signor Mussolini, belong. To drop hot cinders in the Balkans is a dangerous experiment. A cinder (lung from Vienna started a conflagration which spread over the continent. and yet there are statesmen Hinging burning faggots about, with reckless swagger. The temper of Europe may he gauged from the receptions accorded those heedless pyrotechnics on the part of national leaders by their our countrymen. Every time it occurs, whether in Greece, Italy or Turkey, whether jt he a Poincare, a Mussolini, or a Alustapha Keninl who directs the show, applause greets the exhibition. T remember the first days of the Great NVar. There was not a belligerent capital where great enthusiastic crowds did not. parade the streets and cheer for war. In those days, men dill not know what war meant. Their conception of it was formed from iho pictures of heroic and always victorious feats hung in the naiuinal galleries, and the cheap prints adorning the walls of every collage, ft used to he said in mars that one lot cheered and the oilier fought, tint tile cheering mobs who filled the streets in August were filling the trenches in September, and multitudes were filling graves ore the year was otti. lint when they cheered they did not realise the actualities of war. They saw it only in pictures, hut the elieerers of to-day know what war means. France has lost well over a million, and Italy has lost (100,001). What. then, accounts

for a readiness, at the slightest provocation, to rush into all that wretched

ness over again !' The infinite capacity of mankind for deluding itself! East time, it is true, it was a ghastly affair. This time il would lie an easy victory. Then you lmd a perfectly armed Germany and Austria ; now a disarmed Germany, which cannot tight, or a. miserable little country, like Greece, with no army or navy to talk of. So, hurrah for the guns! A bloodless victory—except, of course, to the vanquished. More j lift tiros lo show our children. NVhal terrible people we are when provoked! This episode mav end peaceably, hut it was a risk to take, and quite an unnecessary risk under the circumstances. Italv was naturally indig-

nant at the cold-blooded murder of her emissaries on Greek territory. Although it took place in a well-known murder arc:(, on the 'Albanian border where Comitadiis and other forms of bandits reign, still. Greece is responsible for giving adequate protection to all Boundary Commissioners operating within her frontiers. Italy, therefore, is entitled to demand stern reparation. This Greece promptly considers. Signor Mussolini’s answer to the Greek acknowledgment of liability, is to' bombard a defenceless town and kill a few unarmed citizens, and occupy Greek islands. Does any one imagine, if litis incident occurred on French soil, and the French Government displayed the same a illingnes.- to express regret and other reparation, God. without further parley, lie would have bombarded Ajaccio, or, had it been Britain, would he have shelled Cowes, and occupied the Isle of Wight!' But Greece has no navy. That, I sup-

pose, is one of the merits of the ease! Force is still the supreme arbiter of right and wrong in international ntI'airs in Europe. It is worth nutTiing how a new code of international law is coming into existence. Since the war French armies invade a. neighbour's territory, occupy it, establish martial law. seize and run its railways, regulate the uress, deport tens of thous-

ands of its inhabitants, imprison or shoot down all who resist, and (hell proclaim it is only a peaceful occupation, to enforce rights under a peace treaty! Mussolini shells a lown belonging to a country with whom he is at peace, forcibly occupies part, of its territory, and i lien solemnly declares

it is not an act of war, hut just a reasonable measure of diplomatic precaution. One force decides the issue, it also settles the rules. I have heard it said there L one law for the rich and another for I he poor. There is no douhl there is one international law lor the strong, and mini her for the weak. What a.hoiii the League nl Nations:-' This is pre-eminently a ca.se for action under its covenant. Italy and Greece are both parties, flow can they, consistently with the terms of the treaty which they so re centlv signed, refuse to leave the dispute to tile League? Italy had a special part in drafting the treaty mul imposing it upon (feemany and Austria. Kh<* <*nmn:fc. now. in decency, repudiate its clauses. Ir is suggested, in some quarters, that Italy’s dignity is being involved and that she cannot possibly consent to leave it in the hands of the League. That surely is a fatal limitation on the League’s activities. Every dispute regarding right ’implicates national honour. and as every nation is the judge of its own honour, ultimately all dilforences will Ise ruled out of the covenant. The League is not allowed to touch t ile reparations.'' If this quarrel is also cxi lulled, it is not an exaggeration to *ay this valuable part of the Treaty oi Versailles becomes a dead letter. It is one of the gross ironies of the European situation that the A ersailies Treatv is being gradually .torn to pieces bv countries which are not only its authors. hut have most to gain by its provisions. France has already repudiated the most important part of the Treaty bv declaring she will not refer questions arising I etwoen herself anil her neighbours under the Treaty to the League. She has further invaded and occupied a neighbour's territory in defiance of its provisions. If Italy, also, declines, then nothing will ho left ot it. except what it suits the nations to enforce. If the framers do not owe allegiance to the Treaty, they drafted, uhv should those who accepted it under duress bow to its behests' The victors are liusilv engaged in discrediting t-iieir owu charter. It would have been more honourable if they had ’ to lowed America's example, and re!used to ratifv it. To sign a contract and then pick'and choose for the execution of the parts that suit you, is not worthy of the honour of great nations wliicn profess to lead the world towards a lugner civilisation. There is no country which has more genuine goodwill to] Hal than Britain. It is an old and tried friendship. The two nations have many common interests. I hey have no in a - ries Hence the deep anxiety th.it Itnlv should not commit a mistake which might mortgage her future, e'en p ii does not imperil bet at the present time. There are no doubt strategic advantages to Italy in holding Corfu. It enables her u , bottle up tin- Adriatic, hut- it L Greek, and menaces Slavonia, introduction of lormgn elements into the body uf i! stfltt IT' striiWgK' reft-

sons always provokes inflammatory symptoms and injuries to the general health of the community. Bosnia ultimately proved to he the death of the Austrian Empire. Italy has played a great part in the work of civilisation. So has Greece. It would be a misfortune to humanity if they spent their fine enthusiasm on hating and thwarting one another.”