The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3, 1927. OUTLAWING WAR.

Hokitika Guardian, 3 August 1927, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3, 1927. OUTLAWING WAR.

| \\ HiJ.E at Geneva three of the Great Powers have been endeavouring to coach some form of agreement with respect to naval armanients, at Honolulu th Institute of Pacific Relations was engaged in studying various problems.' Of the ltiiiv considered, one comment remarked that no one is likely to of>jeet to the conclusion reached that war in the Pacific, ought to lie made impossible. The whole difficulty is to decide precisely what steps should. ho taken to attain this desirable end!" It is all very well t:» sav that Japan and Amei’tea should outlaw war between each other. The question, is hew it is to he done. TTie Conference seems to favour a jience pact on the lines of the Locarno Agreement. But it must he remembered that “the Locarno spirit’’ represents an aspiration towards an ideal rather than a practicable solution of an extremely complex problem. No doubt such an agreement would have important effects. It would register the desire of the States and nations in the Pacific area for permanent peace, and for that very vens -n it would help to encourage the growth of pacifist sentiment throughout the world. But it would he only an initial step toward a still far distant, goal. Professor Duncan Hall did well to warn the Conference that some of the delegates were deluding themselves Tiv insisfing that there is no possibility of war in the Pacific War is no more unthinkable in the Pacific that it is in Europe, and not even the most fervid admirer of the League df Motions WPttld venture to predict thjit the

peace of Europe will never be broken again It is absurd 1 > suggest that no conceivable contingency could evert cause war between America and Japan. There is .of coui.sc, no immediate danger of such a catastrophe-. But the rational course to adopt is clearly not to shut our eyes to dangerous pussibili- , ties, but to take adequate precautions against them. Tho most important step in the right direction seems to he the wider diffusion of the desire for peace, and Professor flail argued forcibly in favour of an agreement that Mould prevent any outbreak df hostilities before there had been a thorough investigation into the causes cif dispute. The problem entering most intimately into international relations on this side of the world is undoubtedly that of emigration, and the Conference has had the courage to approach this vexed question frankly. lint though the desire generally expressed for an amicable settlement of such differences was undoubtedly sincere, the cunmeiUs made by some of the delegates had a distinctly ominous ring. An Australian member warned the C'inference that the maintenance of a certain standard of living is a national duty, and more than one delegate admitted that in the last resort any at-

tempt to insist upon an unrestricted influx of aliens would he resisted by force. It is true to-day as it was before the war that no nation can afford to compromise about a matter that concerns its very existence, and the oii'lv way to avoid such dangers in the Pacific is not simply to draft and sign treaties, but to create among all the nations concerned an honest and insistent “will to lienee.” Much of this spirit might he applied also to Geneva. where the three Powers are still

unable to agree. What a remnrTiahly tine thing it would b- if the three Powers eonrerned were to adopt a Locarno attitude and agree not to be embroiled one against the oilier, until there had been the fullest investigation as to the necessity’for the extreme step of going to war. A compact on these lines would he evidence of the “will to peace,” and would assist to establish a reign of sound judgment such has never before been possible in international affairs.