The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-03-16
HANSEN fAV0RS THE
LEAGUE OF NATIONS
Arctic Explorer Believes Russia and
Germany Should BE Permitted to
Join for Sake Of Policy.
BY NABOTH HEDIN.

BY NABOTH HEDIN.
Paris. March 1.-THE attitude Of
Norway and other small countries to-
ward the league OF nations was voiced
BY Fridttof Nansen, explorer OF Green
land and the north pole. In an exclu-
sjye interview witk IInivss~eI Gexs-sssr
Z, r>.ansen, wp6 h NOW proiess6r bf
zoology at the University Of Chris
tania and president of the Norwegian
society for league OF nations, shows
the marks Of untold hardships In his
race. His hair has become thin and
white and his bristling moustache
gray. but his stees blue eyes are as
bright as ever. His towering height
makes him an imposing figure.
Though the weather here Is still win
try, he SCOTS at the idea of an over
coat and wears low shoes and an open
collar
Without the formation of a league
OF nations there is no hope for man
kind. said the explorer. III It is
not brought into life we will spend
our time between paying for the past
war and preparing for the next. The
devisdng means of destruction, and our
whole civilization will be headed to-
ward ruin.
The next war would be Infinitely
more terrible than the last The ma
tons must come together. l admit
the present covenant is not perfect
from our standpoint, but it forms a
basis for future development that con-
stitutes the worlds only salvation.
We cannot revert to the old system.
II believe the nations that were
neutral in the war should Join the
allies. We must all show the will to
g. az.
The critics and skeptics are what you
Americans call Knockers who tear
down but never build. That is the
greatest obstacle to tho success OF
the league idea. The critics say the
scheme will not work. but it is won
derful what we can do once we want
to do it,
Nansen holds no political Office, but
he Is a leader OF the Norwegian poo
pie. In 1917 he went to America to
plead for bread for his countrymen.
The N>-wegian society. of which he
Is the head. formulated a draft OF q
league constitution long before the
peace conference commission agreed
on a covenant.
Some points in the Norwegian plan
are similar to the latter. while others
are more advanced. Nansen voiced
particular regret that the Paris draft
does not make all aggressive war a
crime to be depressed and punished
by the league, but he added he real
lied progress toward that end must
be slow. He continued:
THE idea must have public senti-
ment behind it. The peoples must
want peace and must bake up their
minds to abolish war. All civilized
oountrise must join the league.
ITO leave Germany and Russia out
OF the league would be most danger
Gus, because 1t would invite the for
nation of a counter organization, fos-
tering a rivalry more terrible than the
old.
"A meeting at this time of all sooi
cites for a league OF nations such as
the Swiss and Dutch favor. and which
would mean German delegates would
be invited, would tend to create an
opposition group which would embar-
rass the peace congress without pro-
ducing useful results
"As for the constitution of an execu-
tive council for the league, which Is
admittedly the crux of the whole mat
ter. all of the smaller nations cannot
expect to have constant representa-
ton The charge that the league OF
nations is merely another name for an
old-style alliance between the big
Ave IL not well founded. because some
nucleus is required, and there Is no
alternative.
What else could you propose? We
must take things as they are. AS TO
representation. it might be feasible
that the smaller nations might receive
representation corresponding to the
prominence and ability of the men
they send as delegates For instance.
Sweden might get a place because she
has Htalmar Branting AZ representa-
tive, while certain other small states
temporarily lack men of such inter-
national prestige"
hansen has already conferred with
| Colonel House. Lord Robert Cecil and
| Leon Bourgeois. whose attitude, he
says, he found wholly sympathetic.
After a brief visit to- England he VIII
return to Paris to see President VIII
son, whose ideas he frankly favors.
Norway is likely to get early repre-
sentation in the executive council OF
the league because she has F'ridtjot
Manson The little country whose
population Is about half that OF New
York has LIST 1900 men through sub
marine warfare and hundreds Of thou
sands e tons of shipping, which con-
stitutes the nations principal capital
Her sailors have made mighty con-
trtbution toward keeping the allies
alive during the crises OF the war.
|
Speak OF Radium Lost.