Evening star., 1927-11-12

Yesterday the world celebrated the
end of "a war to end wars.
The Council Of the League of Ma
tions has indorsed another plan for
preventing war. The plan was pro-
posed by Finland, and it has been
under consideration by the League
Council for several months-it was
considered last March-sO that 1t Is
now the plan on which the Councifs 8
wisdom will stand or fall In the test
of world approval. The committee or
the Council has reported favorably,
and the report has been adopted Dy
the Council.
The kernel of the plan is that
whenever a nation is made the VIC
tim of aggression by another nation,
the whole body of nations comprised
in the League will unite in financial
support of the victim. War is there
fore given a price.mark; to the rich
shall come the spoils, but it has not
been made clear through the press
how a victory of wealth, though flow
ing through the channel of a world
banker, will demonstrate the right or
wrong of the controversy, in case the
7 aggressor is financially Independent.
X y y X
The plan proposes that all League
member nations shall subscribe to a
fund which will be held in reserve by
the League ready to be loaned. as
needed, to any victim of aggression.
The report of the committee as
sumes "that the governments will de-
eide both whether such a scheme Is to
be adopted and as to the conditions
| including .he definition of the victim
of aggression, the method of determi
| nation (such as by unanimous or ma
| jority vote of the CounciD. the states
| entitled to participate in the scheme
leg, whether they may include non
members of the League), and also the
maximum amount to be covered by
| the scheme"
The plan does not require an ac.
cumulation of actual funds in time OF
peace nor does 1t contemplate that the
| League itself would undertake to raise
a loan in the crisis of threatened war
1.-The scheme contemplates that the
credits should be obtained in the ordi'
| nary way in the money market and
| that the attacked state should itself
contract a loan on the general security
| of it's revenues, but with the aid or an
international guarantee"
Ordinary banking scheme-a wealthy
and highly rated indorser makes II
easy for any borrower to get funds
| ION the general security OF his'-or
| the indorse.' se.''s-"revenues."
All members Of the plan or agree
ment-possibly to include non-mem'
bers of the League of Nations. sucn
as the United States. whose indorse-
ment would not lessen the bankability
of the note of the smallest or greatest
victim of aggression"-all will first
deposit with the League or it's trus-
tees their bonds covering the amount
of the signatory's guarantee. and "eX-
changeable on the demand OF the trus-
tees into specific bonds in terms cor
responding to the actual loan issued.
! As a general basis of the amount
of general bonds" to be deposited In
the guarantee fund. it is calculated
that each nation should put up an
amount equal to so times it's quota
now paid in support OF the League.
How that sum would be calculated for
rich non-member like Uncle sam
has not been indicated.
.When an attacked state obtains
the consent of the League Council to
obtain a loan. the secretary geuerai
or trustees holding the general guar
antee bonds would present them to
the guarantors for exchange OF the
whole or part into specific guarantee
bonds the latter guaranteeing the
service of the specific loan raised by
the attacked state"
When this plan was submitted to
a conference of four of the highest
of financial officials of the United
States Government. the first question
was, "Who will decide which nation
is the aggressor and which the victim
nation'?"
The Council of the League of Ma
tions, it was pointed out, would as
sumo the right to arbitrate the jus.
tice of international disputes. in the
light Of the historic fact that there
has never been a war in which both
parties-or all parties--did not claim
to be in the right and the victim or
unrighteous aggression, Germany to
this day disclaiming vehemently any
responsibility Of starting the World
War. If the Council Of the League
of Nations had been in existence IN
1914. and there had been diplomatic
influence sufficient to swing Its oe.
cision, would that guarantee fund,
to which, (by imagination) 1t may be
supposed. England, France, Italy and
Russia had. contributed, have been
cashed In for the support OF the
Kaiser against belligerent Belgium?
The fact that the lamb of Aesop was
drinking downstream never pre-.
vented the outcry of the wolf that
the vicious lamb was muddying his
waters and must be rent asunder.
What is war? How does 1t arise?
Does 1t cone suddenly with right and
justice clearly on one side and wrong |
and helplessness clearly on the other?
& H.S<,l is,u hi Itcl1