The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-28
SIR EDWARD CARSON DISCUSSES LEAGUE |OF ALL NATIONS English Statesman Talks of
 Many Difficulties in
 Way of Formation BUT THINKS ONLY WAY TO AVOID CONFLICT Says Greatest Promise for Future Peace Is Present Union of
 Anglo-Saxon Races

Angl0-SdX0n Races
 London, January 30-(Correspondence of the Associated Press.)-"There are many practical difficulties in the way of league of nations, said Sir Edward
 Carson, minister without portfolio in the British war cabinet (sfnce resigned), in , an interview with the Associated Press. But what is to become of all of us If it is not realized?' he asked. Has not this war shown that science, which has done so much on the constructive side for civilization and humanity, must 1 inevitably if turned to a destructive end, l soon spell the complete ruin and death of all civilization and all humanity?"
 DIFFICULTIES ENUMERATED | Sir Edward, for nearly a generation
 one of the greatest English authorities
 on international law proceeded to enum- crate some of the difficulties in the way of successful league of nations 1 Ut goes without saylngI he said, | that everybody is in favor of a league of nations, but many people use the phrase without any idea of what it can | do or how it can do it. Some people 1 imagine that you have solved the whole
 question of war when you set up a league | of nations. But they don't tell us how l it will prevent war
 1 My own view, I may say, is that this war with all it's sacrifices and its en- veloping chaos, will have been fought in vain unless something results from 1t which makes war practically, if not al | A-- ft4r1r .. league of nations can be evolved which will bring about that result, it will be 1 the greatest blessing ever conferred on mankind.
 FIRST ADVANTAGE "A league of nations would have this advantage, first of an: It ought to cre- ate an international atmosphere of peace. If it could become a universal feeling that it was an international disgrace fot any nation to break away you would have in that feeling alone an influence in world politics which would be great
 benefit to the human race.
 But until you have clearly evolved the machinery of your league of na- tions, until you have created machinery which can be so framed and so worked as to make war impossible, you must take the greatest care that the idea doesn't become merely trap for peace loving nations and a method of pre- dominance for the more aggressive. am bilious and interruptions nations to exa1t themselves.
 How far has the world in the past been able to get toward the ideal of a league of nations? The whole of Eu- rope, including Germany guaranteed the independence of Belgium. It was natural that Belgium should place full reliance on that treaty. Yet one has l only to look at the present war to see of how little avail was the league of nations that stood behind Belgium. TREATY OF LONDON For another instance, let us ex- anime the treaty of London, made be- l tween the entente allies after the war, and which stipuated that none of the parties should make peace without the | consent and agreement of the others. Russia was a party to that treaty. but what happened? A series of unusual events occurred in Russia, govern ment was overthrown and you find the new government setting up claim | that the treaty of London does not bind it because made by another gov ernment.
 Before the war. we had series of Hague treaties, which in a sense were a | questions under international law. They 1 laid down the most solemn rules for observance in case war broke out. No body had to sign these treaties against | their will But the war has shown that lthey were of no avail, for Germany forthwith claimed the right to disre- gard any one or all of them.
 Unless some far-reaching changes | are made. then, mere agreement
 among nations to stop war is not any thing on which any nation could safely rely.
 There are difficulties also regard ing the composition of a league of na- tions. Are all nations. regardless of size, to have the same voice and vote? Are the British selfgoverning domin- ions to be separately represented? How
 are you to prevent what we in Eng fish politics call log -rolling-that
 method of operations whereby I vote
 for something that you want and you
 vote for something I want?
 EXECUTIVE SIDE OF LEAGUE
 What is to be the executive side of
 the league, and what the police power
 to enforce decisions? The reason our
 law courts are able to settle disputes
 between individuals is that there
 stands behind them the high sheriff,
 who can call out the whole army and
 navy if necessary to see that the
 courts decrees are observed. Who is to
 be the high sheriff for the league of
 nations?
 s'It may be possible to reach mutual
 agreements between the nations as to
 disarmaments But it will not be easy.
 How are you to prevent an aggressive
 nation from arming it's police or other
 internal forces, and thus creating an
 army useful when the time comes for purposes of aggression?
 Nevertheless, I am inclined to think
 that the first great step toward . league of nations should be limitation of armaments. @
 ECONOMIC WEAPONS s
 ''rhen there is the que | ion of the economic weapons possessed by vari-
 ous nations, weapons as powerful and
 as real, even if less tangible, than the
 military and naval arm. It has already
 been pointed out that the economic weapon might be one of the most pow erful and effective means of enforcing
 the decisions of the league of nations
 against any one nation which might
 be tempted to break the bounds
 T have pointed out all these diff culties, not with an idea of discourag- ing or opposing the idea of league of nations, but to show that, in my
 opinion, it will be impossible to work out the idea if any power or powers enter on the attempt with feeling
 of predominance, aggression, or any, thing but sincere desire to be rid tof the evil of bloated armaments and
 that militarist organization whi Ii