Grand Forks herald., 1919-12-17
our1.Aw1NG WAR.

In an article just published In the
Independent Of New York. Charles A.
McCurdy, NJ. p. who is a parlia-
mentary secretary to the ministry OF
food in the British cabinet, presents
some observations on international
relations which seem to get right
down to the root Of things. Mr.
McCurdy is under no illusions as to
the possibility of rcgenerating man
kind by stroke of the pen. But he
believes, nevertheless. that there is
highly important work Of progress
to which progressive nations may
make great contributions through
concerted action which is in harmony
with the ideals which they already
accept. Referring to the statement
made by Premier Lloyd George that
millions Of men fought for new
world. and hundreds of thousands
died to establish 1t. Mr.. McCurdy
says :.
mo one would suggest that the six
months discussion which has taken
place in Paris on all the questions OF
every kind that had to DC answered
before the war could be wound up at
all, has resulted in the establishment
of the new world to which Mr.. Lloyd
George referred. No one will sug-
gest that we have got any guarantee
that the old world is done with wars,
or has made safe place for the in
fant democracies that have been born
out of the travail of Europe. At
present some of those infant democ-
racies are engaged in fighting one
another and the great powers seem
to have discovered as yet no way of
stopping them:
lat present some of the nations
in Europe are entirely unregenerate.
But if we look ut the question
from a practical commonsense point
of view there is, believe, good rea-
son for hope.
I'm municipal law. in the lives Of
separate nations, the reign OF law is
substituted for the reign of violence,
as soon as good working majority
Of honest citizens can be found to
form vigilance committee. They
must be honest themselves and they
must have a balance Of force on their
side to deter the minority OF evil
doers from crime.
The same law will hold in inter
national relations the English
20 ypeakins peoples in concert with theil
friends. or the English speaking peo.
pies alone, il there were mono TO joir
Them, could exercise an influence fol
peace which would change the course
Of history.
They could do it not by nerel,
tWming a league to preserve peace
but by accepting whole-heartedly thu
idea that underlics the policy Of /
League Of Nations which has beer
edvocated with equal sincerity on botl
Rdes Of the Atlantic, the idea tha
war as means Of settling disputes
or Of increasing territories or power
IS henceforth ruled out between them
selves, not by agreement, not by treat.
however solemn. but because tn,
English speaking peoples are con
vinced that war for any such purpos'
is crime not to be tolerated by civ
liked people.
Unless we are prepared to prachc
. new and higher morality than tina
which made the great war inevitabl
we cannot start to preach it to tn
rest Of the world.
but if the big powers could MAX
a start the rest of the world woul
he compelled to como into line.
Some powers would follow our ez
ample with joy, others with reluct
ance but all would follow.
War would follow slavery and tn
duel into the dustbin OF discredtte
institutions