The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-30
BRITISH LEADERS
AVOID ADEFDNITE
STAND ON LEAGUE
Skittish Attitude Is Trace
able Partly to See What
Z. S. Wants.
POLICY Is UP In AIR
Home Problems, Especially
Ireland, Come Before For
eign Affairs.
DISARMAMENT is WANTED
Country Opposed to Adven-
tures-Waiting for In
perial Conference.
DISARMAMENT is WANTED

London. Nov. 90.
The British attitude toward the
League of Nations situation is typifiet
/ by the determination OF Premier Lloyd
George, members of the Cabinet ant
every one responsible TO the House Of
! Commons not to go to Geneva. While
it is true that this attitude is, TO q
considerable extent, dictated by de-
sire to wait and see what the United
! States wants in connection with
| league covenant changes, also it is
influenced by number of important
domestic considerations. The fact is
the imperial policy of Great Britain Is
1 considerably "up in the air. at pres
ent.
Great Britain is so exhausted after the
war that 1t is financially and politically
impossible for her to continue the policy
of alone carrying the Empires heaviest
burdens. as she did before the war
Every fiscal discussion reveals doubt
of the ability of the British Isles, from
their own resources. to go on maintain
ing the imperial navy, army and foreign
service as they were maintained before
the war, but, instead, IL this IS TO be
done, there must be large contributions
from the self-governing Dominions.
While the Government Is charged with
extravaganza because of expenditures
for these services, which now cost three
times what they did In 1914. figures
show the services have been reduced to
the size they were in 1913. However.
they. like everything else here, are suf-
ari o. " &
high cost of living.
Wait for Imperial Conference.
Therefore. one thing which undoubt-
eddy Is preventing any expressions of
opinion by responsible persons here re-
gardlng the League of Nations is that
every responsible man is awaiting a
conference of representatives of the EN-
pire next spring, when spokesman for
each Dominion will meet to consider the
situation-whether to return to larger
share In the work OF shaping the i'm
perial decisions and whether the Dom!n-
ions will help bear the imperial burdens
Consideration of these subjects is to
n minor extent clouded by worry over
Ireland. Whatever way the Irish prob
lem Is solved OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES the
Irish win and gain the measure OF self
government they want. even though
their Republic is tied to Great Britain
only by treaty, like Cuba to the United
States, or whether the present Govern
ment wins out, reconquers Ireland and
imposes its own terms-it is likely to
have an important effect on the Colo
MES and Dominlons.
II the Irish win, some dominions, re-
ports indicate. may seek the same status
as tho new Ireland; If the Government
h. int ha
in a position Of surly reluctance to CO.
operate further in the imperial schemes,
due to the strength OF the Irish emigrant
sentiment within them. Hence, next
spring may show either a survival or an
end of the system whereby n few Min
listers IN Downing street, who are re-
sponsible only to the House of Commons,
shall maintain a benevolent suzerainty
over q large part OF the world. 1t is
chiefly this that makes Britous hesl-
tate to take a stand regarding the
League of Nations.
More than thirty men, prominent in all
phases of public life, were approached
by THE New YORK HERALD reporter here
during the last ten days but all of them
asked to be excused from expressing an
opinion In view OF the general uncertain
ties. However. there is a growing doubt
here whether the League of Nations is a
real force to prevent war and whether
Il will be effective In bringing about
disarmament.
The destruction of the German navy
fortunately gave Great Britain a breath
ing spell from the burden of building
more capital ships; but events In
Geneva recently have led many persons
here to advocate the resumption I'M
mediatey of reasonable programme
of increased naval building. In view of
the activities in this direction by Amer
lea and by Japan, both OF whom are
Great Brltains allies now. but both
of whom are seen-as all the rest of
the world is viewed-as possible future
enemies by those hardened technicians
of the Admiralty and the War Office.
whose international calculations are al
most exclusively In terms of broadside
weight and muzzle velocity and whose
views are little colored either by poll
tics or by sentiment.