The Washington herald., 1920-02-19
~ STEPHEN BoNsAL.


What strikingly uninformed state
nent II that which Billy Hughes.
ormer umbrella mender and now the
'rime Minister Of Australia, launches
oday upon a war-dazed world. Ac-
ordins to the cables, the Australian
Premier says that the next war will
be in the Pacific and that the Aus
sles will get what they go after"
AS matter OF fact. the war in the
Pacific is already on. although for
the present 1t Is localized in the Yell
low Sea sector. But who can say
how long it will remain localized?
The government of Canton. or rather
of South China, which has seeded
from Peking. has dispatched five war
vessels, all cleared for action, to the
Portuguese port of Macao and de-
lnands immediate removal of a dixie
whose construction. the South China
statesmen hold, is in direct violation
'of the treaty that was celebrated be-
tween China and the very faithful
King Of Portugal as far back as 1882.
Non-CombntantsF Flee.
The Portuguese authorities, not TO
be outdone. according to the as yet
uncontradicted cables, have dis
patched soldiers to the seat of the
trouble and are bringing up rein
forcements from the outlanGish ISL
ands Of Mozambique and Timor. while
the non-combatants of both national
tiles are, naturally. Withdrawing
from the wsr-threatened districts ad-
jacent and are taking refuge in Hong
kong. where, under the British hag.
law and order. peace and prosperity
eiSn.
4 great many readers will probably.
ike the Prime Minister OF Australia.
be living in blissful ignorance OF the
outbreak OF these hostilities, but the
question involved in the light Of
many considerations is important.
The one 7 would insist upon first is
that the Oldest outstanding subject
of strife OH the east coast or ASH
has again. as in almost every decade
or the last DO years. reached the
point OF outbreak.
League Need Shsws.
IL were a preacher and not a
mere observer of current events. I
would preach a sermon upon this
question OF the day and draw from
II the lesson of how advisable is a
league OF nations in practically any
form. Here We see again, full of
menace. a war cloud in the East
which has been disturbing in
huence from the days of AIbu-
Querque down to the present time.
solution has been sought by the
arbitrament of battle on many oc-
casions. and not less freduently by
the finer methods of diplomacy.
Both have failed. and ii would seem
that today the question is ripe for
the conciliatory and the calculating
processes of the league of nations.
The people of the longlived empire.
which has split up into d couple OF
cantankerous repCblics. and, the
former subjects Of the very faithful
King of Portugal. who also arc
playing today at being republicans.
should be msde to shake hands
across the disputed dixie for fear
that again it may become. az In
days past. a bloody chasm.
Up Canton River.
As today the world Is so full of
strange names and out-of-the way
places are SO continuously cropping
up in the news. 1t is perhaps wise
and may be helpful to many peopIe
to locate the scene Of this new men
ace TO the peace of the world.
Thousands of leagues across our
continent and across the Pacific.
and few more miles up the Can
ton river, out of the yellow waters
of China. rises today upon the in
credible view of the traveller a bit
of medieval Europe. with its moss
covered battlements. Great bronze
cannon which may have saluted
Camoens, and which surely sailed