Evening star., 1926-04-04

occupy large seats is but one. BY
contrast, it Is plain that the insistence
of the great powers on complete mas
terry and their rather cavalier disre-
CARDS of the small powers inevitably
foreshadows some sort of internal con-
vulsiOn sooner or later.
If, for example, the league should
now make any attempt on it's own to
deal with the question of disarmament
the attempt would end in disaster, be
cause the great powers are not in any
sense united, and to raise the issue
would be to precipitate a contest
which would Immediately resolve it
self into a new battle between the
great powers. But if and when the
great powers have arrived at a meas
ure of agreement as to what they are
willing to do, Geneva and the league
supply the only place where it is even
thinkable that the matter can be con-
sidered and the only machinery avail
able.
In matters involving dispute be
tween the great powers on issues of
peace and war nothing has happened
to suggest that the league can have
the smallest real influence. But for
tunately the recent episode demon
strates again that despite the survival
of almost innumerable causes for dis
agreement and the persistence of
many secular. differences, Europe in
the main is strikingly peaceful, and
for Europe, which does want peace
sincerely, the league can render very
great services and has indeed only
begun its career as the meeting place
of the Europe which desires co-opera-
ton.
A United States of Europe is prob
hpUnnd pf 20.
! alization, but the growing measure of
European cooperation is indicated on
all sides. And in my judgment the
league VIII become more and more an
expression of this d-N!I~ I. will be
less and less intern~ tloHA IN lie sense
of concerning itself with A;EeIican or
Asiastic questions, save as 'Eey affect
Europe. 1t may even become less and
less concerned with purely political
questions. even in Europe itself. Thus
! the recent Geneva episode, while at
the moment disclosing very real,
very great limitations which must
endure, so far from having a fatal
7; effect upon the league. it seems
| to me is not unlikely to lead to
/ expansion of it's usefulness nNfelds
! and directions where it's possibilities
are apparent. 1t is not going to make
or control the peace of Europe or the
! policies of the European countries
but since most if not all are eagerly
desirious of peace it is available, and
| it is the only instrument available tc
/ serve this European need.
/ The real burden of the recent fail
ure must be borne by those champions
| of the league in various countries
| who have represented the Geneva
! body as a substitute for foreign of
! fees and traditional methods of inter
national intercourse and have adver
| tised that there is growing up beside
! the Lake of Geneva a new institution
which would transform internationa
relations and make war impossible
! But in the recent test the respective
/ foreign offices took possession of the
Geneva institution and turned out al
| it's agents and made it no more thar
a battle-ground between nations quar-
! reling over traditional issues Of pres
! tige and power. The injury. then, ID
not to the league, which obviousl,
was not and could rot become what
| its champions had hoped and claimed
! but it was a blow to idealism all ovel
| he world. and particularly in Europe
it was 4 blow which had foc its wors;
a / .l.tN