Evening star., 1926-04-04

Continued from First Page.D
Yet this bitterness seems, on the
whole, unnecessary, because at the
precise moment in which the league
was demonstrating it's limitations 1t
was also disclosing the fact that a
future of very great if relatively re-
stricted usefulness is opening. No
one could escape the feeling that in
creasingly for years to come Geneva
is to be the single center of European
political exchange; that the mere pres
ence here of the league is going to pro-
mote an enormous amount of. inter
national intercourse. Already it was
plain that Geneva, through the
league. provided a place where Eu-
rope could meet and a, machine that
Europe could employ with obvious ad-
vantage whenever it chose. The con-
ception of the league as the guardian
of world peace, as superstate which
might intervene to coerce belllgerent
nations and compel the submission of
peace disturbers, has been steadily di-
minishing in European minds. 1t is
already accepted that the league can
render little if any effective service
in conditions such as existed in 1914.
If one considers a new crisis like
that which preceded the World War,
what happened here recently is a
fair demonstration of the futility of
any institution. because although cir
cumstances were different and far
less grave, the problem always turn
I'D upon the action of German,
French and British statesmen, never
upon the league in any other eXter-
nal circumstances. Because :Strese-
nd nd
recognized the home difficulties Of
each. the discussions proceeded in an
atmosphere of trust, not suspicion, as
in 1914. but always from a purely ma
tional point of view.
If Germany should tomorrow. de
eide to intervene by force to reduce
the Polish corridor-and ] use the IL
lustration purely as an Illustration
the league would be perfectly power
less to act France, Great Britain and
Italy might act, and their action
might be decisive, but it would have
no relation to the league, Neither the
assembly nor the council could dc
anything, and what was done would
be done by the great powers as such
by the influence of guns and fleets
not of moral force, which would not
find any expression here, where the
SdIile para SIS WHICH IidS OGCui CS
before would be bound to recur.
But just so long as France, Ger
many, Britain and Italy are desirous
Of working together, are agreed upor
any line of policy with respect of Eu
rope and beyond this. just so long as
Europe is in its present mood, which
despite all feverishnesS and panics, is
almost universely desirous of peace
and better understanding, Geneva is
the place where there can be a meet
ing of minds and machinery. Many
inevitable occasions for assembling
must promote an eVer-increaSine
measure of international understand
ing.
The league itself is in full evolution
also in full crisis. Its whole history
has demonstrated that it can have
very little usefulness on the line:
which Wilson, for example, conceived
Its area of political influence is ex
ceedingly small. and tends to diminish
It can do no great thing itself; wher
the great powers disagree it is moth
ing. 1t has, moreover, developed Ger
tain very grave weaknesses. Of which
the ambitious oI the small az. (,