Peace Congress.

Taihape Daily Times, 17 April 1919, Page 6

Peace Congress.

2?EW ZEALAND DELEGATION

HISTORIC PLENARY SESSIONS

(From R. Riley, Official Journalist.)

THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

PARI, Feb. 24, 1919.

The League of Nations, which is intended to perfect good faitli to emancipate the world from war, was born (to use the word of its proudest: parent, the President of the United States of America) on January 25th, 1919, at the Trench Foreign Office, ithe Qnai d'Orsay, Paris. The pomp and circumstances of its creation were more imposing, if destined, perhaps, to be less permanently inspiring, than the modest circumstances of th e advent of the Prince of Peace.

The historic occasion was the second plenary session of the Peace Conference, and the sixty-five representatives of the twenty-one free nations who ■were present in the glittering 'Hall of the Clock took a keen and, in many instances, a critical interest in the creation of the League. The New Zealand delegates attended this session of the Peace Conference, Mr Massey representing the Dominion, and Sir Joseph Ward attending as a member of the B'ritish delegation. No opportunity -was given for a full discussion of the question of a League of Nations, but it was subsequently made clear that there were many differences of opinion as to the practical value of the League. The same differences of opinion were expressed with emphasis and sarcasm in the French press, it being suggested by one writer that the fact that Germany approved of the creation of a League of NjatkttiS was sufficient in itself to condemn it. Occassionally witty comments were made. There was, for example, the prophecy that the League -would either become a prodigy of peace or a prodigy of philosophical " piffle." An American Senator had already noted that the League would have to be provided with teeth before it could exercise a giant's strength in maintaining the peace of th e world. It is to fce said, however, that no one seemed disposed to challenge the bedrock principle of th c League, nor to assail its purposes.

The main object of the plenary Conference was to first set up a Commission of the Conference to examine the

proposal in respect to the creation of a League of Nations. iand it naturally fell to President Wilson to open the memorable discussion. The task was obviously to his mind for he undertook it -with a will, and literally with beaming pleasure. His speech in support of the formation of en League of Notions —the keystone of the United States programme—was at least a masterpiece of clearness and measured emphasis. No point was overlooked or put forward casually, and where the logic of the argument was weak, the weakness was veiled —it would be unkind to use the new hackneyed word. *'can«outflai r £d"' with j uncommon cleverness of phraseology. And there was just enough of. the American accent and American /mannerism, in the speech to give it piquancy. The President jtlearly appreciated ■the difficulties in giving form and dependable strength to a Society of Nations, which was to bo charged with, the tremendous responsibility of keeping (to use Dr. Wilson's own words) developed science and armed men within the harness of civilisation. Maybe he spoke as a visionary, but many of his hearers were prepared to admit thaiit was as a visionary with the faculty or recognising that idols usually have feet of clay. Possibly a Yankee would in affectation describe the President as a logic-splitting philosopher, whe in his normal moments would admit that sometimes a six-shooter is the final argument with a murderer. Since President Wilson's speech has long ago been reported in full, it is not necessary for the writer to. do more' than summarise the arguments which had the greatest influence and cfTcc.: on the Peace Conference, and to indicate the manner in which his most effective points.were made. The Conference, he said solemnly, had to do more than satisfy governmental circles anywhere: it had to satisfy the opinion of miankind.

The burdens of the war, the real strain of the war, had fallen where the eye of government could not reach, but where the heart of humanity beats. The Conference was bidden by these people who had suffered to make a peace which would make them secure k to see to it that this strain did not come upon them again. Settlements might only be temporary, but the actions of the nations in the interests of peace end justice must "be permanent. They amust set up permanent processes. Was it ' not a startling circumstance, ho asked, that the great discoveries' of science, the quiet study of men in laboratories, iand Hie thoughtful developments that had taken place in quiet lecture rooms had -now been turned to the sudden and complete destruction of civilisation? Only the watchful, continuous co-

operatitnof nations could see to it (hat science, as well as armed men, was kept within the harness of civilisation. It was clear that the President did not want the world to think there was tenderness in the United States about war. for he assured thc Conference that the ardour of America for the Society of Nations was not, an ardour -springing out of fear and apprehension, but an lardour spring out of ideals which hud come to consciousness during the war. The representatives of the United States regarded the great project of the League of Nations as the keystone of their whole programme. If they returned without having made every effort in their power to realise this programme, they would return to meet the merited scorn of their fellow-

citizens

"Gentlemen," he declared, "select classes of mankind are no longer the governors of mankind. The fortunes of mankind are now r in the hands of the plain people of the whole world. Satisfy them ,and you have justified their confidence not only, but established peace. Fail to satisfy them, and no arrangement that you can make would either set up or steady the peace of the world." "The League of Nations must be made a vital thing, and its continuity should be a vital continuity. It should have functions that are continuing functions; it should be the eye of nations to keep watch upon the common interests, an eye that, does not slumber, an eye that is everywhere Avatchful and attentive.

Thc Conference was there to see, in short, that, the very foundations of this war are swept away. Then, with withering scorn, he described the nature of these foundations, which were the private choice of small coteries of civil rulers and military staffs, the aggression of great Powers upon small, the holding together of empires of unwilling subjects by the duress of arms and the power of small bodies of men to work their will upon mankind and use them as pawns in a game. Nothing less than the emancipation of the world from these things would accomplish peace.

"I have only tried." lie said in conclusion of a fine speech, "to give you the fountains of the enthusiasm which is within us for this thing for those fountains spring, it seems" to me, from all the ancient wrongs and sympathies of mankind, and the very pulse of the world seems to heat." The President's resolution that, a Com-

mission should be set up to examine the proposal to establish a League of Nations was seconded by Mr Lloycr George, whose speech was a model of brevity. He quietly recounted his impressions of the ruin and desolation he had seen in fair France —a country which did not appear like the habitation of living men, women and children, but like the excavation of ?. buried province—shattered, town. rent. and confessed that his feeling was surely it was time that a sa'fier plan for settling disputes between peoples

should be established than this or ganiscd savagery.

The resolution was passionately supported by Mr. Orlando (Italy), M. Leon Bourgeois (France), Mr. Lou (China), Mr. Dmowski (Poland), M. Hymnus (France.) Somewhat unexpectedly the discussion suddenly broke away from the main subject, and turned upon the representation of small nations whose representatives volubly expressed dissatisfaction with"-The decisions cf the Council of the Allied and Associated Powers.

.The lively protests drew a delightful and a characteristic speech from M. Clemenceau, President of the Conference, who whimiscaTly confessed that if the Council had ever flattered itself that it could satisfy everybody it would fey now be thoroughly disillusioned. After all, when the war ceased thc Allies had 12,000,000 men fighting on various fronts. This entitled them to consideration. The dainty thrust at the clamourous small nations and neutrals was -keenly enjoyed by the Conference. A little later M. Clemenceau caught the Conference off its guard, swept five motions into one resolution, and got it carried before anyone had time to protest. Apparently the genial Premier of France had not been nicknamed the "T*iger" without a good reason for it. He certainly knows when to spring. Time alone wll prove if Mr. Orlando's impassioned, declaration at the birth of the League"- of Nations was justified. He declared: To-day is a great moment, a great historical date, because it is only from to-day that the law of peoples begins and i« born, and the fact that ' * birth has taken place in the generous and glorious laud of France, which has proclaimed and won acceptance for the rights of man by its genius and its blood, appears to me to be a happy omen. Twenty days later, the third plenary session of the Peace Conference met tc christen, so tc speak, the "strange child of all the free nations." The Covenant of the League was presented and explained by President Wilson, and generally welcomed. But again the great debate was indefinitely deferred.