DR. FRANK CRANE'S DAILY EDITORIAL

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 212, 26 November 1927, Page 23 (Supplement)

DR. FRANK CRANE'S DAILY EDITORIAL

THE UNITED STATES OF EUROPE , Copyright, 1927.) mHE Madrid Press in Spain recently proposed the United States of Europe, independent of the League of Nations, and pledged to maintain peace by means of an international army. There is not much danger of this suggestion being adopted because there is nothing much in its favour but common sense and intelligence. In international affairs these things do not seem to have much of a look-in. Pride, nationalism, chauvinism and patriotism have the right of way. The logical thing for Europe to do, of course, since the United States will not come in with them to the League of Nations, is to organise a League of their own. If they would do this and abolish their nonsensical tariff barriers and have a Europe as united as the American continent, they would accomplish something, but army and office holders would lose their jobs and a number of gTeat and glorious statesmen would be looking for work. An international police force enforcing the mandates of the United States of Europe would not appeal much to patriotism. It would be simply business, and the principal inducement offered to young men to go to war would be lacking. . . ....... The Madrid Preps, however, is evidently of the opinion, which is shared by many, that you are never going to have a practical peace that is not bolstered’ up by arms. The world is too much torn by jealousies, strifes and vanities to sit still long enough to listen to reason. We do not have anarchy in our cities, because we have all given up the job of protecting our honour and entrusted that to a police force. So, there would automatically come to pass a state of peace if there was no army in Europe except the police force to back up the opinions of the representatives of the United States of Europe. When the world gets in earnest about abating war, when it ceases to talk and vapour and begins looking about for some practical plan, it must be some such plan as this. Force is not estopped as a means of settling disputes by abandoning force altogether, but by relegating it. As long as nations are unwilling to give up their isolated pride there can be no real Ull '°Such a plan as that prosposed by the Madrid Press would mean billions of dollars to impoverished Europe. But it means something else that is out of the Question and that is common sense.