Evening star., 1925-11-29
SEES LEAGUES FUNCTION
AS BIG POWERS AGENT
Simonds Says the Impulse Geneva
Needed Was Given 1t at the
Parley at Lacarno.

-
ment Germany enters on IN accept
ance of a basis of fact tho league
ceases to represent a combination Of
victors founded on the conception of
preserving peace for the world and
the fruits Of victory for the conquer
ors and becomes an associat ton of ma
tions, which, il they recently fought.
still more recently came together on
a voluntary acceptance OF certain
things.
All the contracts which are passed
between these nations and constitute
the Locarno pacts are turned over
to Geneva. which becomes the keeper
of the aChiveS. 1t becomes more. Of
course-it becomes the administrator;
to it are ascribed functions under the
agreements. Nevertheless. ii can do
nothing. despite the agreements. save
| as it is backed either by the force of
all or by the combination of those
who have force enough to impose
| their Will upon the minority.
| Because France and Germany de
| sire peace and believe that the exist
| ing territorial situation is tOlerable
| they have agreed to accept that condi-
| tton as permanent. and have sent their
| agreements on this point TO Geneva.
Having thus renounced the notion of
| fighting and transformed what was
| condition created by war into a con
dition accepted in peace. they consent
to make the league the body TO re
solve future differences But the
| whole point is just here; it is France
and Germany which make the league
| this agent; il is not the lea que which
has imposed its will upon the nations.
Peace Is Expected
| The peace between France and
| Germany IS made at Locarno. it is
| made with no league assistance. II
is made by the foreign ministers Of
| the interested nations. These have
found way TO use the league in their
| new plans for peace, but authority
| comes from the nations; the league
| is tho agent and some of the docu-
mentS do not hesitate to tell the
| league in terms that it is TO do Ger
| tain things.
| Now all this represents a very con
| siderable evolution from the Concep-
| tion of the league which Mr.. Wilson
| took to Paris. He saw Geneva as the
| new international center in the world:
| he saw the league as supplanting the
authority of the several states he saw
| it as a Superstate which would be
| able by moral authority to impose its
| will upon individual nations and he
believed that to moral authority there
| could be added physical strength, that
| TO the authority Of the court there
| could be added the power of the
| sheriff.
| But as a superstate the league
| could not function. IT never could and
| it never has been able to work sue
| CeSsfully save on the occasions when
it had behind it the force of nations
which in London, Paris or somewhere
else had resolved to let the league do
something which these nations de-
| sired or use the league to prevent
/ hiT7p oi1h And
Locarno finally gives form TO the
league, provides it with exactly the
impulse which il needs.
All Powers Represented.
After Locarno. with Germany in.
| the league loses forever the character
| of an extension of the alliance which
| won tn war. Not alone neutral ma
tions. but all the considerable central
| powers are represented. In the second
lplace, SO far a France and Germany
are concerned. it is no longer the
| guarantor to France and against Ger
many of the decisions q. the treaty
| of Versailles which restored -NlSace-
| Lorraine to France. ON the contrary
il represents the executor of = free
will pact in which on her own motion
Germany has accepted the frontiers
of 1919 in 1925.
| The league, then. escapes from the
fatal position which has cursed il
| since birth. When Germany enters Of
| ner own accord, it is no longer an al
legiance or a preservation after war
of wartime alliance. There are no
allies or central powers. Germany
as a member will have her place, her
part at once. So far as the league
in it's interior organization is con-
Cerned, II becomes at last representa-
tive of Europe. To be sure, Russia
is still outside and so far II suffers
corresponding limitations, but if II
has not vet gained Russia, it has at
last acquired Germany.
Its field of activity Is then broad
ened. Geneva grows as a center uf
international affairs. More prime
ministers and foreign ministers will
probably attend the sessions. But the
sessions will in themselves be no
more than perfunctory open sessions
which follow agreement in secret con
| ference and behind closed doors. And
the secret sessions Will not take place
in Geneva or between those who de
: rive their Importance from their rela
tion with the league.
New Diplomacy.
Americans must see that after six
years what has actually happened is
that any struggle between what we
used to call old-fashioned diplomacy
. ! and new. any effort to substitute
| League of Nations for the old form
| of international intercourse has brok-
en- down completely. The ambaS-
| SadorS and ministers have recovered
their own. There has not been Gre
: ated at Geneva a new body of world
, leaders who derive their authority
from the league. No, nothing of the
sort. French policy. directed from
Quai 'OrSay, remains independent of
Geneva; SO does British, controlled
, from Downing street; so will German
: made in WilhelmstraSse. 1t is Strese-
mann. Chamberlain, BRAND who make
, agreements, which, being made, they
toss over to the league for purposes
, OF recording and for purposes of ad-
. ntinistration.
The league is not blazing tr- WAY
to European adjustment. All of its
, proposals, of which the protocol was
the most ambitious, have gone into
the waste paper basket. But the Fu-
, ropean nations. arriving through their
own diplomatic machinery at a basis
, of agreement, enViSage making use
: OF the league to perform the humble
, If valuable office of applying the prin-
| cipleS agreed upon. Europe has made
J peace outside of the league, but 1t
has chosen to relate the peace it has
made to the league, to use 1t, while
, 1t has in no case consented to follow 1t.
, Mr. Wilson conceived of a leas
founded upon the covenant, represent
, ing the public opinion of the world.
serving its decisions upon obedIent
l cabinets and subservient premiers. He
conceived of the league s a center of
h ,-It 1t