Evening star., 1918-02-17

tions. Are all nations, regardless of
size, to have the same voice and vote
Are the British seIf-governing domin-
ions to be separately represented?
How are you to prevent what we in
English politics call log rolling-that
method of operations whereby 1 vote
for something that you want and you
vote for something 1 want?
What is to be the executive side OF
the league. and what the police power
to enforce decisions? Tie 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 DEGREES are observed. Who is to
be the high sheriff for the league OF
nations?
.Tt 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 its police or other
internal forces, and thus creating an
army useful when the time comes for
purposes of aggression?
First Step, Limit Armaments.
Nevertheless. 1 am inclined to think
that the first great step toward a
league of nations should be limitation
of armaments-
Then there is the question of the
economic weapons possessed by vari-
Gus nations, weapons as powerful and
as real, even if less tangible, than the
military and naval arm. 1t 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.
Il have pointed out all these difficult
ties, not with an idea of discouraging
or opposing the idea of league of ma
tons, but to show that, in my opinion,
it will be impossible to work out the
idea II any power or powers enter on
the attempt with feeling of pre-
dominance, aggression or anything but
a sincere desire to be rid of the evil of
bloated ornaments and that militarist
organization which leads to aggression.
Whatever happens, there ought to be
a good nucleus for the future league of
nations in the continued and expanded
friendship of those countries now fight
ing together the cause of the entente.
Promise in Anglo-saxon Union.
THE greatest promise for the future
peace of the world today is to be found,
1 believe. in the union today of the
Anglo-Saxon races. and in the fact that
they came into the war. not to help
each other, but because they were
driven into it by common ideals of
freedom and common hatred of tyranny
I look upon the maintenance of the all
lance and friendship of this war as a
matter for which every member of the en-
tente ought to strive with every power
Nobody can contemplate without uneasi-
ness peace which evolves no permanent
settlement Of the world. If an unstable
peace were made it would be necessary for
the great powers, although confronted at
home with problems Of reconstruction the
like of which have never been known be-
fore. to turn aside from those problems to
leave them in chaos and to grapple rather
with the problems of preparation for fu-
ture wars.
THE engines of destruction evolved by
science in this war are such that one can
easily picture in imagination the entire
determination of civilization if no way is
found Of putting an end to the destructive
development of. organization and equip
ment.
THE aim of every statesman in every
country. then, ought to be to find some
means of making war impossible.
Sympathy in Free Democracy.
Il have a good deal of sympathy with
the idea that if every country was an
equally free democracy there would be less
likelihood Of International conflict in the
future.
But if this war results in showing that
the ~democracies of the world can be de-
feated by military autocracy, I see little
hope for the future
1T would help. believe. if all nations
~ .1N-~1..,