Evening star., 1925-11-29

Poland's strength, they avoided a
break between themselves by sending
the matter to the league. But when
the league decided in favor of Poland
1t was the bayonetS of the allied
troops which imposed the decision
upon German people. which have
never accepted that decision as just
and never would have accepted it at
all had power to resist existed.
The league is steadily represented
by its champions in this country as a
tremendous and increasingly effective
agency for peace in Europe. But the
truth Is that Europe has been making
such progress as 1t has made toward
peace outside of the league, and not
only apart from but frequently in dis
agreement with the league. The pro-
tocol was the leagues idea of peace
in Europe, but the protocol was
scrapped in favor of Locarno because
France and Britain could agree about
Locarno and not about the protocol.
The evolution of the league in its
still brief history has been away from
control, leadership. authority. Locarno
accentuates and illustrates the process.
A refrigeration has been taking place
in Europe which has lately gone very
far. AS the process has developed in
dependently of the league, the states
men who have been conducting the
operation have taken advantage of
the league to make it the instrument
of administration Of what has been
formulated and agreed upon elsewhere.
The men who sit at Geneva repre-
senting their countries habitually have
as little real influence as the ambas-
sadors who perform similar service
in other places.
When II Is F6erfiye
Geneva leaps to the headlines when
Chamberlain and BRAND have agreed
in London. Paris or Locarno upon
some course and go to Geneva to
explain It. The league becomes ef-
fective when machinery for peace has
been devised elsewhere, and then the
Geneva personnel is employed to op-
crate the machinery. Until recently
the league has been paralyzed be.
cause 1t could do nothing itself and
the statesmen in control of national
governments would resign none Of
| their duties, responsibilities or pow
ers to the league.
Now. as the direct consequence of
a development which the league could
not bring about, there Is growing up
a, whole body of agreements and the
! league is acquiring a reason for ex-
istence as it becomes the custodian
of the agreements and the executor
of the contracts. 1t was to have been
the master; it is by way of becom-
ing a servant. not impossibly a highly
! useful servant, but its whole charac-
ter has been changed in the process.
| It was to have beeA the agent of
| peace, 1t is becoming the accessory
after the fact.
But it is essential for Americans
| to perceive that in the process 1t is.
| despite its Asiatic and South Amer
| lean fringes, becoming more and more
! essentially European. It's concerns,
| Its vital concerns. are becoming more
exclusively European. It's attention
| is being more and more utterly con-
| centrated upon European problems.
What is even more notable, and for
the American more significant, it is
becoming the expression Of a steadily
mounting European solidarity.
Lost American Character.
Thus the league, which in its incep.
| ton, at least, represented an American
effort to evangelize Europe, has al
| ready lost almost II not quite all of
| the American character-which was,
| to be sure, quite vague-and is as
suming a distinctly European aspect,
| which Is concrete. It has ceased to
! be even in European conception a
superstate, a seat of authority. 1t is
! becoming the center of a machinery
which, so far from organizing peace,
| begins to function only when peace
| is organized, and SO far from com.
pelling nations to adopt peaceful solu-
| tions, only becomes available when
| the nations have arrived at such solu.
tions.
Copyright. 19@5.)