The weekly Alaska citizen., 1918-03-18

of a League of Nations." said Sir Edward Carson. Minister Without Portfolio in the British War Cabinet (since resigned) in an interview with The Associated Press.
 But what Is to become of all of us if 1t Is not realized?" he asked. Has not this war shown that science, which has done SO much on the con. structive side for civilization and hu. manity. must inevitably, If turned to a destructive end, soon spell tn complete ruin and death of all civi. lization and all humanity"
 Sir Edward, for nearly a generation one of the greatest English authori- ties on international law. proceeded to enuperate some of the difficulties in the way of a successful League of Nations.
 Tt goes without saying" he said, that everybody Is In favor of a League of Nations, but many people use the phrase without any idea of what 1t can do or how 1t can do it. Some people imagine that you have solved the whole question of war when yiu set up League of Ma tions. But they don't tell us how 1t will prevent war.
 My own view. may say. is that this war. with all It's sacrifices and It's enveloping chaos. will have beer fought In vain unless sometfing re- suits from 1t which makes war prac tically if not altogether impossible in the future. If League of Nations can be evolved which will bring about that result. 1t will be the great est blessing ever conferred on man. kind.
 "A League of Nations would have this advantage, first of all-it ought to create an international atmosphere of peace. If 1t could become a uni versal feeling that 1t was an interna- tional disgrace for 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 Ma tions, until you have created machin cry 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 predominance for the more aggressive, ambitious and unscrupu lous nations to exalt themselves.
 "How far has the world in the past been able to get toward the ideal of League of Nations? The whole of Europe. including Germany. guaran- teed the independence of Belgium It was natural that Belgium should place full reliance on that treaty Yet one has only to look at the pres ent war to see of how little avail was the League of Nations that stood behind Belgium.
 For another instance. let us ex- anime the Treaty of London, made between the Entente Allies after the war. and which stipulated 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, a government was overthrown and you find the new government setting up the claim that the Treaty of London does not bind 1t because made by another government.
 Before the war we had series of Hague treaties, which in & sense were a League of Nations defining numerous questions under interna- tional law. They laid down the most solemn rules for observance in case war broke out. Nobody had to sign those treaties against their will. But the war has shown that they were of no avail. for Germany forthwith claimed the right to disregard any or all of them.
 Unless some far-reaching changes are made. then. a mere agreement among nations to stop war is noth- ing on which any nation could safely rely.
 There are difficulties also regard ing the composition of a League of Nations. Are all nations. regardless of size. to have the same voice and vote? Are the British self-govern. ing dominions to be separately rep resented? How are you to prevent what we in English politics call log rolling-that method of operations whereby l vote for something that you want and you vote for some thing l want?
 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