Evening star., 1928-08-30
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL 2. COLLINS.

! Now that Is of the leading nations
OF the world have mutually agreed to
| discard war as means Of national ag-
grandizement, and all the rest of the
63 nations appear eager to unite in the
gesture of peace. the gates are opened
| to speculation as TO what methods will
supersede war in the adjustments of
differences between governments. Min
lister BRAND. In his speech Just preced-
ing the actual signing of the momen-
tous agreement, in Paris, used these
words
1T will henceforth behoove us, as a
| sacred duty, TO do all that can and
must be done for that hope not to be
| disappointed. Peace Is proclaimed.
That is well. That is much. But It
still remains necessary to organize It,
In the solution of difficulties, right, and
not might, must prevail. That is To be
the work Of tomorrow. At this unfor-
gettable hour the conscience OF peoples,
pure and rid Of any national selfishness,
is sincerely endeavoring to attain those
serene regions where human brother
| hood can be felt in the beatings of one
and the same heart. Let us seek a
common ideal within which we can all
merge our fervent hopes and give up
any selfish thoughts"
| u u
Such words become classic as soon as
| uttered. They express the new era OF
civilization. its ideals. Its hopes, its
possibilities. They will be accepted by
idealists, scoffed at by enemies Of order
" government, diStrusted by Machiavel-
| Of n IL
| tarists. but, against all that skepticism
and ill-will, they will depend for life
upon the sincerity, not OF rulers, but
Of the great masses of the intelligent
public of all civilization,
| %%
What did Mr.. BRAND mean when he
declared that peace remained yet TO
be Organized? Already. many inter-
pretations have been put upon the
phrase. Some assume that that means
that the only organization possible for
all signers OF the pact TO outlaw wal
will be to join the League OF Nations,
which will enforce the agreement ny It's
own combined war upon violators OIL
the peace of the world But that IL not
the Interpretation put upon IL pS
President Coolidge and Secretary kei~
Iogg. If the psychology of the uniVer~
sal will and honor and determination TO
maintain peace is not strong enough
to stop any nation from step back
into WiIlful boodshed, then the armies
Of the members Of the League would
but add to the carnage, for that orlgl-
nal aggressor would proclaim its Wiling
ness TO be outlawed, ostracized IRON the
harmony of nations, In defiance OF the
whole world
AS was said by Lord Cushendun, the
representative Of Great Britain at the
signing Of the pact, mo one imaglnes
this treaty will finally Danish all war
We must keep that clear II we are To
avoid disappointments, Yet the cefe"
mony from which We have Just come
Is the most significant aAd impressive
demonstration of q will for peace Wnlch
the world has ever yet seen.
we have reached the point In the
civilization of the world when wal
must be considered shameful and the
spirit which the signing Of this treaty
manitests III the best guarantee the
world could have that Its civilization
Is advancing"
There viii still be wars fought. but
they will no longer be held legitimate
they will be considered shameful just
al street brawiing Is discountenanced al
ntolerable In decent society and not
marking the courage of a aelf-respaeting
gentleman. The nation that plunges
into aggressive war, before every peace
fu means Of adjusting differences, viii
not be countenanced III the concert ol
nations.
II that penalty be counted as .
weak expression Of disapproval OF eivi
lization, let II once be- faced by a eulpri
nation which tinds itself forbidden IL
trade with any other nation while de
tying the world OF peace, unable To bus
food or munitions anywhere, unreeog'
nized las ia Russia today as worthy 81
confidence,
Its condition will parallel that Of thu
! Man Without Country who, though
AN ofiicer OF the United States Navy
had In q rash mt III disloyalty dieavowes
All alleRia4l0a Ia Iafs fg0unrnnaaYif and III.