Evening star., 1925-10-17
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL y. COLLINS.

Europe has made concrete ad-
vance toward peace between certain
nations, If the news from the Locarno
conference be confirmed by the Par
liaments of the respective nations
concerned. Peace pacts guaranteeing
the Rhine boundary of Germany and
guaranteeing that Germany will not
invade France or Belgium, are ac-
cepted by those three nations, while
England and Italy stand as sureties
for the fulfillment of the agreement.
There is no settlement Of Germany's
eastern boundary protecting Poland
and Czechoslovakia. France becomes
entitled to protect her allies, Poland
and Czechoslovakia, against aggreS-
sion of either Germany or Russia, but
without the recognized right to march
armies across German territory to
their aida right which, 1t is alleged,
she would base upon the precedent
of Germany's invasion Of Belgium.
x X
Great Britain defeated agreement
to the protocol which was presented
to the League of Nations last Win
ter to accomplish arbitration between
all nations agreeing thereto. This
week the same British leaders ear
nestly led the efforts to bring about
Just such an agreement between in
dividual nations.
The protocol which was rejected
last March would have bound the
members of the League of Nations
to submit all their international dis
putes to the league. which, in turn,
would submit questions Of interna-
tional law to the Permanent Court OF
International Justice, sitting at The
Hague, and the main questions to
board of arbitration. All member ma
tions then would be obliged to "use
economic, financial and military pres
sure" to bear upon the "aggressor
nation" which refused to abide by the
edict of the board of arbitration. or
which failed to respect an armistice
ordered by the League of Nations
Council pending inquiries into the
Justice of the disputes.
This plan included outsiders as well
as member nations, so that in case a
non member nation came into dispute
with a member Of the league, the non
member would be invited to take upon
itself all the obligations of a league
member, or be treated as an ag.
gressor," regardless of the merits OF
the original differences, with the pen.
atty Of having all member nations of
the league banded together to eXer-
else economic. financial and military
pressure" against the "aggressor. .
Whether the outside nation so willed
or not, it faced-at least theoretically
"a combination of nations against 1t.
and might have to fight the world
single handed. The protocol was pre-
sented to the council by Mr.. Benes,
premier Of Czechoslovakia, but 1t was
acknowledged as the work of both
Czechoslovakia and France.
Great Britain baked against sup'
In
definite postponement OF it's considera-
ton, apparently with the view TO ar
irving first at specific agreements
such as the ones now achieved at
| Locarno, but British opposition to the
protocol last March was based almost
| wholly upon the fact that the United
States was not a member or the
| League Of Nations, and that, there
fore, such an agreement between
| members would not be adequate to in
sure the peace of the world-as if the
| peace of the world had ever been
| jeopardized by America!
| X 4 X ssk
| History recalls that the United
States defied France in 1898, when
she undertook to force this country
1 into her war against England; that
our Navy fought Moroccan pirates
and established the freedom of the
Mediterranean by conquering the
marauders to whom all other nations
were paying tribute; that we fought
England in 1912 to establish the
| freedom Of the seas; that we fought
Mexico to uphold Texas against an
usurper's tyranny; that when Eng
| land undertook to interfere in our
domestic troubles we demanded repa-
ration in our Alabama claims: that
= conspiracy OF France and Austria,