The Washington times., 1921-12-25
BY LADY ASTOR.

Since l wrote last II has become
possible to see more clearly what
the Washington conference has
brought to the world and also what
are the more immediate problems
ahead Of us In world politics. The
past three years have helped us all
to understand better what the world
peace means. We have letarned for
one thing that 1t does not mean a
mere ceasing of hostilities.
The armistice made an end IT
wholesale destruction, but It did not
bring peace. The treaty of Versailles
did not bring peace. 1t has gradu-
ally dawned on us that peace il not
the negative thing that SO many
peace enthusiasts have made 1t APP
pear. Peace is not a vacuum, 1t has
to be a positive creation. The con-
ception of a league Of nations was
the expression of this truth. Wash
ington has helped as to realize 1t
still more WILDLY. We have learned
too, that peace cannot be reached
by imposing a framework from
above. 1t has to be built up from
the foundations. 1t has to come out
Of the consciences of ordinary peo-
pie like you and me. 1t Is not n
diplomats game. 1t is the business
OF all men and women of good will.
Two Supreme Needs.
This too. Washington has brought
home to us afresh. We have found
that the will to peace" is not
enough. Human beings are I'M
stable creatures. Crowd psychology
Is an unaccountable element. We
need machinery which can express
one underlying conviction Of the
rightness Of peace even In the face
OF temporary wastes of irrigation
and suspicion.
We need machinery w6fch-pro-
v1des for cooperation when we
most need 1t even when we least
feel like 1t. Looking back over the
confusion Of the last three years
with all it's mistakes and its cross
currents two supreme needs seem to
me to emerge. One Is the essential
need Of some sort Of association Of
nations, the other Is the impos-
sibility Of Americas isOlating her.
self from world affairs.
There are certain purely Euro
pean questions which are capable
Of being settled and which are In
fact being settled very satisfactorily
by the existing partial league Of ma
tions.
Matters for League.
The administration Of disputed
territories such as the Saar Valley,
Wilma, cts, the settlement Of intri-
cate questions like the constitution
of Dantzig, are matters which no
authority, but a permanent and
impartial body like the League Of
Nations can really deal with.
There are also emergencies,
which, unless promptly dealt with,
can hardly be dealt with at all.
Take, for instance, q very recent
example: The other day there was
Serbian invasion of Albania, for
which there was no iustifiable
ground whatever.
In less than a week the council
of the League Of Nations was as
sembled in Paris and as a result
Serbian bonds fell to nothing.
Serbian financiers could raise no
loan and, with very little difficulty,
Serbia was persuaded to agree to
the withdrawal of her army with
in twenty days.
That is an instance of the kind
of thing which a body like the
League of Nations can do and
which q system Of voluntary arbi-
tration, like The Hague system or
a world conference system like the
Washington plan, cannot do.
Spced and Authority.
The essence of II is speed and
authority and. although 1t may
seem a small thing. no one can
ever say again since 1914 that a
spark in the Balkans may not light
flame that burns the whole
world.
That is why Europe at any rate
clings 30 tenaciously to the idea Of
the League Of Nations. She knows