Evening star., 1918-01-13
'[AUDS PRESIDENTS
/ PEACE LEAGUE IDEA
+
Sir Edward Carson Declares
I Another World War Would
End Civilization.
SHOULD LIMIT ARMAMENTS
Cab1egram to the Sunday Star and New
York World. Copyright, 1913.

York World. Copyright, 1918.
g LONDON, January 12.-Sir Edward
Carson in an interview with The Star
this evening indicated his support OF
President Wilson's idea of league OF
nations and said: Unless something is
4 evolved out of this conflict to make
( future war impossible the next con-
Z flict would see the determination OF
civilization"
He expressed the hope this would
! be made possible by the formation OF
Z such a league, but said he had not yet
/ seen the machinery worked out and
did not know IL it could be. Every
body is in favor of such league,
he declared. But many use the
phrase without knowing what it can
do and added they do not tell US
how such a league is to prevent war.
"My own view about the present
war" he said, "is that 1t has been
fought in vain unless something re-
suits from it which will make war
impossible, or practically impossible,
in the future. If league of nations
can be evolved it will be the greatest
of all blessings to mankind. If peace
Were made without such permanent
settlement it might be more than ever
necessary for the great powers when
confronted with problems of recon
have encountered in the history of the
world to consider not reconstruction.
but problems of wars in future.
Would End Civilization.
Judging by the engines of destruction
which science has created for this war.
the determination of civilization would
opae a,~nl4
check was placed on the development Of
war MATERIAL
While giving no suggestion as to how
the league of nations would be workable,
Sir Edward said a great deal could be
accomplished by abstention from arma-
ment and the elimination of conscription
He continued: I'VE should take care that
the idea of a league of nations does not
eventual predominance among the more
ambitious nations. The whole of Europe,
including Germany, had guaranteed the
integrity of Belgium and the present war
shows what little avail that was. Even
the treaties Of the entente during this
war have been smashed by Russia, who
says they are not binding on her. The
many conventions signed at The Hague
before the war to settle and prevent dis
putes among nations and those laid down
for humanity were conventions of no avail
when war did break out. 1 don't want to
discourage the idea
Should Limit Armaments.
Nobody can be more pleased than I.
as a student of international law for
forty years. to see this question solved
Whatever happens there ought to be a
good nucleus of such league in the
continued and expanded friendship Of
the nations fighting for the entente
cause and league of Anglo-Saxon ma
tions'
II such league is formed Sir Edward
thought as a first step there might be
an agreement as to the limitation of
ornaments and declared 1t as his belief
that the economic weapon would be one
of the most powerful which could be
used by the league. Commenting on the
Presidents terms. Sir Edward Carson
said they were in complete harmony
with those Of the British government.
Referring to the suggestion made in
some quarters that the Presidents free
dom of the seas policy meant abandon
ment of the blockade. he added:
Il would be opposed to any such agree
ment and believe the British govern
Inent will never abandon that right I
believe 1t as necessary for one nation to
use its naval power effectively as for
another nation to use its military
power"