Evening star., 1924-08-31

League OF Nations VIII not
only be the most important
Il in the history of the Geneva
organization, but in a sense it
VIII be the first of outstanding i'm
portance, as indicated by the pres
ence for The first time of at least two
and possibly three premiers of great
powers. Ramsey Macdonald and NJ.
Herriot have already indicated their
purpose to attend, and there is at
least chance Mussofini will also be
there
Hitherto it has been the smaller
nations which have been represented
by their great and ruling men, while
Tor the larger powers Geneva has
been at most something of a side
show. In the five years of it's history
the League of Nations has never been
called upon to pass upon any major
question either growing out of the
peace settlement or developing since
the war. with single exception.
When France and Britain, through
BRAND and Lloyd George, disagreed
about Upper Silesia and came to an
absolute deadlock, they chose rather
TO refer the whole issue to Geneva
than to come to a final breakup of
the entente.
Disappointments to British.
The decision of the league in the
matter of Upper Silesia was bitter
disappointment to the British, consti-
tuted and remains barrier to Ger
man entrance into the league or faith
in that body, for this decision gave
the best part of Upper Silesia to the
Poles, thus confirming the French
contention. AS d consequence, the
league decision was bitterly con-
demned in London and British enthu-
siasm for the league itself suffered a
marked dmnution
Meantime all the great controyer-
sizes, reparationS. the Russo-PoIish
War, the Greco-Turkish War, Corfu
and the discussion of the Limitation
OF naval ornaments by the sea
powers, were conducted outside of
the league, and while the league
congo centrated its attention on useful
but relatively minor questions, such
as the Aland Islands, the rehabilita-
ton of Austria and then of Hungary,
the great powers met at dozen or
more conferences and the smaller
powers formed the little entente asd
other ombinations
The whole question of the league
plications of American domestic pol
tics that it has never been possible
to discuss it objectively, nor is it still
a subject which can be examined
without exciting protest both from
the friends and the opponents of the
league. Yet in Geneva itself, as in
Europe. among the proponents of the
league, a much more judicial attitude
is observed than anywhere in the
United States.
Still Lacking Real Test.
When l was in Geneva last Spring
I found that the members of the
league pretty generally agreed that
up to that moment the league was an
experiment which had never been
subjected to a real test. What the
loyal workers in the league organiza-
ton were striving for was to build
up machine which might when
the proper moment arrived, be avail
able, but there was equally clear
recognition Of the fact that the mo-
ment had not yet arrived. What is
Interesting at the present hour is the
possibility than the tranSformation
of the league may be at hand.
To understand the early years of
the league one must grasp the fact
that its original situation was ter
ribly compromised by the fact that
1t was the product of a treaty i'm
posed upon defeated nations, and it
therefore became in fact the executor
of state of peace which was utterly
repugnant to millions of Europeans,
who only endured this peace because
it was at the moment beyond their
power to challange it.
The league as the executor of the
treaty of Versailles and the, SUBJ
sidiary settlements would inevitably
have become no more than an alliance
between the victorious nations to
maintain the territorial and other
decisions of the war and the postwar
treaties. 1t would have been then a
logical successor of the holy alliance
and 1t would have been compelled
to rest its authority upon the bayo-
nets of the great powers who were
interested in preserving the status
quo which the war had created And
in the larger sense this was at all
times the continental as contrasted
with the Anglo-Saxon conception.
Gave League New Aspect.
Fortunately for the league. as it's
own friends abroad now assert, the
withdrawal of the United States and
the prompt divergence of views be-
tween Britain and France abolished
this orientation. Instead Of using the
league, the great powers dealt with
the important issues directly and the
league was left to function a little
In the air, yet at the same time
building UP machine and perform
ing useful, if minor services. minor
in comparison with the primary is
sues which were absorbing the time
and effort of the statesmen of Brit
ain, France, Italy, Belgium and the
little entente, together with Poland.
Now, however. with the adoption of
the Dawes report by the London con-
ference, and with the acceptance of
it by the German representatives in
London without the exercise of force
or ultimatum by the allies, we are
manifestly approaching a new situa-
ton. Since. moreover, the French
have indicated their readiness to con-
sent to German admission into the
league. and the other central powers
Austria, Hungary and Bulgaria.
are already members, the arrival of
Germany would quite transform the
character. of the association. and it
would no longer be in any sense
mere combination of victorious pow
ers. in, restraint of the vanquished.
Security to Be First Test.
Nevertheless the first test of the
availability of the league must be
had on the question of security, Sc
curity for France, which is on the
political side the dominant European
issue; security for Belgium, for the
smaller countries, neighbors of Ger
many and of Russia, or neighbors of
the Hungarian and Bulgarian states
which have not yet accepted the de-
cisions of the peace treaties as final
and definitive Security also for these
states and for Germany, within their
present limits.
Will it be possible to frame
contract at Geneva which will be