NEXT WAR IN EUROPE.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 March 1921, Page 10

NEXT WAR IN EUROPE.

ESSENTIAL TO PREVENT IT. The possibility of another European war was recently discussed by Viscount Grey “in a speech in Glasgow. '“lt is essential that there should not be another war,” he said, “and therefore we must see that there does not grow up again in Europe the state of things there was before the late war. 1 am as strong as anybody can be on the point that we ought to maintain the closest possible relations with our late Allies, especially with France and Italy. I say nothing about the United States for the moment, because the United States is waiting for a. declaration of policy from its newlyelected Presklent. Until that 'policy is declared I think any attempt to anticipate what line the United States may take, and still more any attempt to influence that line, would be perfectly futile and probably mischievous. Maintain the .closest possible relations with those countries. Make that the basis, the foundation, the starting of our policy, but not for what happened in Europe before the war. The Triple Alliance made by Germany after 1780 brought into existence the Franco-Rus-sian Alliance, which led to competition in armaments. If we let things take the same course again in spite of the warnings of this war we should have the same result. What is absolutely necessary is to keep some council of the nations together. Keep them in touch, Keep your relations with your allies, but watch for any tendency toward a growth of competition in armaments, and when any nation is beginning to force the pace in that competition then let the council of the nations prevent it growing up, as before the war. Some people say that in a league of nations there will not 'be any certainty. There will not be a certainty, but I am quite convinced that if you have another war 20 years hence it will be infinitely worse than the recent war, and it will destroy the civilisation of Europe. If you tell me the League of Nations is Uptopia the answer [I give is that I prefer the chance of i Utopia to the certainty of destruction.”