The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-05-13

fective league.
 By ARTHUR PONsONBY, M.P. Published by. The Ase-Herald Through
 Arrangement with Reynolds News
 paperJ
 LONDON. May 12. Among the many disappointments and disillu- sionments of the peace, perhaps the breakdown of President Wilson.
 He had won for himself in the world high position as a practical idealist. and had shown that he sim cerely desired the establishment of lasting peace to be the one great compensation that might be gained out of the chaos and barbarity of the war.
 We were led to believe that some statesmen, and notably President Wilson, were sincere; we believed that humanity, after so tragic an eX- perience, and with the prospect of future wars being infinitely worse, would rally whole -heartedly to any genuine appeal for discarding this brutal and senseless weapon, and we expected the emerSence of great international council. deriving it's moral authority from the high pur- pose with which it would be en- trusted. We were doomed to bitter disappointment.
 Committee Of Victors.
 Just as on the one hand President Wilson knuckled under. weakened, slipped his ground. and proved to be a broken reed. so. on the other hand, a league of nations was conceived by those who were deeply impreg- mated with the war spirit. league which was nothing more or less than a committee of the victorious powers. eager to reduce their enemies to im- potence. and so to arrange the orld's affairs as to secure for them selves the full enjoyment of the ma terial fruits of their victory
 With a punitive and grossly in equitable treaty tied round its neck, the league was launched into the storm and turmoil of the most unset tied and turbulent Europe of which history has any record. The wonder Is not that 1t failed. but that 1t con- tlnues to exist.
 Had a league of nations been con- ceived in true spirit of interna- = tionalism; had it been detached com pletely and absolutely from the war and it's consequences; had it been allowed to envisage Europe from the point of view of pure international justice, without tdkllS into dCcoui the gains of the victors or losses of the vanquished: had it included at once :.;l nations; had 1t been repre- sentative of the peoples rather than of their governments; had it been allowed to close once and for all the sordid volume of international slaughter and nationalist ambitions and open new volume, a new chap ter, a new clean page of world set tlement based on mutual agreement; and had it refused to allow supreme councils and allied conferences to interfere with or disturb its work. ] am convinced that the moral support 1t would have received from the peo- ples of the world would have been so widespread that it would have estab- lished itself in secarity and acquired the confidence and respect which would have given it power and au- thority.
 Instrument of Injustice.
 As it was, it became an instrument for carrying out the provisions of the peace treaties with all their dis astrous injustices. The United States stood aloof Germany, Russia ano Turkey were not admitted. A self constituted council dominated by the allies in it's turn dominated the as Sembly.
 Time after time allied conference: and sittings of the supreme councf Isurpcd it's functions.
 In the wars that continued it was too feeble to interfere. In the con- flict between Russia and Poland. be- tween Turkey and. Greece, and. more notably still, in the Ruhr occupa' tion. although fully authorized by its own constitution. embodied in tho covenant. to interfere. it has beer powerless. impotent, inept.
 Being a committee of the allies. II dared not intervene in fear of offend ing one of them. When question such as Upper Slesia is referred tt it, it's commission obediently show! it's bias in favor of it's allied masters
 The great outstanding domlnah' function of real league of na tions is the adjustment of the great political disputes between nations which either have led or may lead tt