The Times. PUBLISHED ON TUESDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOONS. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1917 THE WAR AND PEACE

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 336, 7 December 1917, Page 2

The Times. PUBLISHED ON TUESDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOONS.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1917 THE WAR AND PEACE

"We nothing extenuate, nor tet down auaht in malice

Amidst the storm of indignation and resentment occasioned by Lord Lansdowne's deplorable utterance, which, very properly, has been met with instant and emphatic repudiafion even by the members of his own political party, it is difficult to attempt a dispassionate criticism of his ill-timed words. It is, however, not uninteresting, to consider Lord Lansdowne's suggestion in the light of an important movement which was inaugurated in America before the Great Republic became involved as a belligerent in the world conflict. The movement in America was styled a League of Nations to Enforce Peace. Among political economists, international lawyers and other leaders of thought the idea gradually took shape that an Alliance or League comprising principal nations, by agreeing to use their joint economic and military forces, could enforce peace among themselves. Every city and town has its police fore, as the visible embodiment of the majesty of the law, ever ready to enforce respect for the statutes when voluntary observance fails. To compel a whole people to obey the law of nations is but to carry a step farther a practice with which all the world is familiar in its daily life. This idea is not new; but it is claimed that the manner in which it had been worked out by the League to Enforce Peace is new. Instead of pooling all the various military and naval forces to constitute a grand army of the world under the supreme command of one leader, who might be tempted to make embarassing use of his absotute power, as has been proposed from time to time, the plan of the League provides that each nation shall retain its complete autonomy in military affairs as it does in all other matters ; but that each shall pledge itself to stand ready to furnish its quota to punish transgressors of the international agreement, as the nations combined to suppress the Boxer rebellion in Chiua 17 years ago. Add to this joint use of military force the boycott to coerce an offender, and Hie

same comprise the measures by by which it is proposed to provide the peace movement with a spinal column. The League to Enforce Peace was not inaugurated with any desire to interfere with the course of the present war ; the object of its eminent founders was to formulate a constructive pro-.

gramme to be ready at hand when hostilities come to an end wherewith the nations may start anew. By providing saner methods of setsettling internation disputes it was hoped that the frequency of wars might be reduced. .And surely the hope of which the League is the tangible expression is not unreasonable.