Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-04-13

But, by contrast. as one after an
other questions like those Of Austrian
and Hungarian finance, Lithuanian
and Polish boundaries. Sarre valley
difficulties arise. Geneva is an enor-
mously convenient pigeonhOle in
which to file these matters away. to
file them away not 70 remain and
gather dnst. bat to be disposed Of.
Europe deVolyes upon Geneva those
questions which it is tired OF wreSt-
ling with. would like To see settled
hut is sufficiently Indifferent 2 bout
to be willing to resign. And bear this
in mind always, Geneva takes them
up and deals with them with a really
noteworthy degree Of competence.
Talking with members of the SeCre-
tariat. and from Sir Eric downward,
all showed me u courtesy and spoke
with frankneSS which leave me their
debtor. | had the impression that all
were engaged in teh task of con-
Structing machine with the hope
that in the future this machine might
nc available for application to greater
problems of Europe I am bound to
say that the underlying conception
seemed 10 me to have its origin rather
in tho British tradition of civil service
han in any American and necessarily
less concrete notion of moral influ-
ence. The thing is a. little difficult to
phrase. but what | mean is there was
the feeling that the effort was 10
create machine that might be avail
able if nations should agree to use it,
rather than to organize force which
would compel nations to reckon with
ii.
Original Idea CurtaiIed.
Beyond all else the league. seen
from Geneva, gave the impression of
an institution rather than an idea.
that the idea which was the founda-
ton of the league had passed through
an enormous measure of reduction in
nnally being expressed in the present
society of nations. You could under
stand how most governments, per-
haps all governments. would find it a
mighty convenient thing TO which to
refer questions of opium traffic. white
slave trade, even the financial admin
lstration of bankrupt succession
tateS like Austria and Hungary. And
] emphasize again that il was impoS-
siblc not 10 feel the injustice of the
charge that the league had done
nothing and could do nothing.
In addition it was manifest what an
incalculable benefit must flow even
from the relatively restricted contact
OF men of many nations. restricted,
because, after all, only the minor
powers sent considerable representa-
tivcs. And in a Europe which, until
today. has been separated by so many
barriers and still is, this has its val
ue. More. perhaps, than anywhere else
on the continent at this moment, you
may detect in Geneva the first faint
traces of a. European state of mind
beginning to develop.
What you feel about the league of
nations in its present incarnation is
that whenever the great or even the
little powers can agree as between
themselves, the league of nations will
DC an admirable body to formulate the
agreement and see it applied. And in
the same sense it is manifest that
when other nations disagree, but do
not want to fight. reference to the
league will be a simple escape. Now.
il would be foolish to say that this
- nothing, that it is not. on the con-
trary, a material gain. There is some
thing at Geneva which has done and
will continue to do a useful thing
which has not been done before and
needs TO be done.
Powers Arc in Doubt.
But that the league of nations con-
situtes, in it's present state or in a
future which may be based upon it's
present prospects, body which can
materially affect the relations of the
great powers to the extent of pre-
venting wars. that it has become or
is becoming the vehicle of expression
of world opinion. that it has acquired
moral authority which in any
measure approximates what was
hoped for il and rather raShly claimed
for it, this seems to me, after my ex-
perience, a matter of speculation, at
best.
Dealing with minor questions. the
league has done well, but the moment
you go from Geneva to any capital in
Europe you feel at once that all ma
ior questions remain where they were.
1t is Germany. France and Great Brit
ain which will determine the repara-
tons settlement, if there is a settle
3nent. and Geneva will not influence
one way or other the question of a
settlement. At most, If there is a set
Element in terms, Geneva may be call
ed upon to oversee the application OF
the terms It's role will be passive. not
active. IT can receive. it cannot give,
it can accept, but it cannot influence,
and as far as l can see ii has no great
inclination to influence. And that is
perhaps exactly what I mean when