Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-08-18
BRITISH DOM|NIONS FOBM
LEAGUE OF FREE NATIONS
Arnold Bennett Comments on Va
rious Functions of Imperial Bodies
In Session Mt London.
COLONIES PART IN GREAT WAR
Conference Of Independent States.
Legislative Bodies Arc Magnified
Committees Area OF Canada
Greater Than United States.
ny ARNOLD BENNETT.
international News Burcau.l

| than the committec-that device py
| which number OF men sit together
| in room and argue about course
| of conduct until n majority of thom
| agree and outvote the minority The
| committee has been called the supreme
device for wasting time and doing
| nothing with an air OF Importance
| Borough councils are swollen commit
| tees. and we know what people say
of borough councils. The House of
Commons is n very swollen COMMITTEES 2.
and what we say OF the House of Com
mons often cannot even be printed /.
Nevertheless, the committee is n most
precious invention. and without many
committces-despite the extreme fool
ishness of some of thcm-the war could
not be carried OH for a week
At the present time there are three
committees Of the highest Importance
sitting in London tho War Cabinet
the Imperial War Cabinet and the Inn
perial War Conference The first Sve
are fully acquainted with. 1t sits
every day. including sometimes Sun
days. 1t conducts the war. 1t gives
orders to generals and to adniirals.
indeed. to everybody. 1t settles nearly
everything that Is important and
urgent. and it's responsibility is as
great az the responsibility OF any
committee that ever sat in tho whole
history OF The world. Lloyd George
4
man OF the Imperial War Cabinet. Now.
the Imperial War Cabinet consists OF
home and colonial statesmen Uhe lat
ter have recently arrived from the
far ends OF the carth). and it decides
war questions which specially affect
tho empire as a whole. 1t not only
decides them: it gives orders about
them. and these orders have to be
obcyed in just the same way as the
orders OF the War Cabinet itself are
obeyed. Lastly. we have the Imperial.
War Conference. The Imperial War
imperial questions as affected by the
war. but it does not decide; ii only
recommends to tho other two bodies
When it was instituted. the Imperial
War Conference was called the Colonial
Conference. Most people still think Of
IT as Colonial Conference, and it is
a Colonial Conference. But II is more.
II is a conference OF free nations II
you think it isn't. go to any great
colony. and say to that colony that
II is not n nation, and free nation
and see what YOU will geti Our colonies
are as free as any nations on earth.
and far frecr than most. They re-
main within the circle of the empire
because IT plecses them TO do SO, and
FOR no other reason.
Again, they are very proud and in
dependent nations, VIGOROUSLY Jealous
II,
tions occupying vast areas of the
earths surface. Has II occurred to
YOU that Canada is very considerably
greater in area than the United States?
In possibilities OF future growth there
is no foreign nation to compare with
IN" greatest OF our colonies And in
actual population. has il occurred to
YOU that the total Of people represented
At the Imperial War Cabinet and the
Imperial War Conference vastly cx-
ceeds the total of all the European ma
uons hShtinG to-day?
You may argue. when insist on the
immense significance and the inter-
national quality Of these imperial COM
mittccs. that they are not called upon
10 do what is, after all. the hiehes:
business or international gatherings
namely. to arrange by negotiation Diff
nculties which might lead to war.
How do you know that?
In the past. war has occurred within
the empire. II Here had been an i'm
pcr!al conference in the eighteenth CEN
fury there would have been no Amcri-
can War OF independence. and the
history OF the world would have been
changed.
am maintaining just this-that the
Imperial War Cabinet and the Imperial
War Conference. between them fulfill
on huge scale practically all the
functions of "A league of free nations,
anu 'h"t eheS no IL successfully. They
constitute model They prove. in
their degree, that Il league Of free
nations Will work"
LEAGUE OF FREE NATIONS
OF ENTIRE WORLD
am very Keen on league of free
nations for the whole world. The ide:.
mas bee min the air for several years.
Some responsible statesmen have
snecred at it. others have condemned
4 a Id
possible. Still. i, has survived, and il
is growing in strength Difficult in
deed TO think OF the idea Of a league
OF free nations in the midst OF the
present frightful crisis Of battle
nevertheless. the idea Is being thought
OF more and more even to-day. The
idea Is bound to triumph II must
triumph, because il has no rival
Surprising that you dismiss the idea
81 league OF free nations as Utopian.
Then you are faced with another war.
But" you say. There cannot possibly
he another war for very long time.
and before mankind is ready for an
other war the hear, OF mankind may
have changed. Anyhow. we shnn't see
another war" This argument will not
do. Unless the present war is settled
IN the only right way. another war
might occur very soon; il probably
would 1t would assurcdly occu:
.
new possibilities of warfare have only
quite recently been discovered. and for
the reason that the causes which led
70 the present war. unless they are
removed. must infallibly lead to an
other war. Even IL the present war
lasts another two years, the known
possibilities OF warfare will not have
been fully worked out. and the military
! mind viii sui he itching to work
. ;hcm out Further, mechanical
I science progresses. the art OF destruc-
/ tOn, just Ike the art of construction,
"i!I he cncapencd The next war would
/ be fought in the air and under the sea.
/ Both ulrplanes and submarines are
/ relatively very cheap. The finest air
. piano costs no more than a railway
/ locomotive. and a dozen submarines c"n
easily bn built for the price OF one
/ Dicadnousht.
The entire character OF war would
l." altered. II the German great gen
sfal stan had possessed rcal conStrIc-
J.. I'VE imagination (Which Is does noO.