Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-08
Is New World War Possible?
Continued From First Page)

Under the Arc de Triomphe, under the
floor of Westminster Abbey. near the
capitol in Rome and at Arlington lie
the symbolic dead. When they fell,
they must have found consolation in
the thought of dying so that others
| should not also die In future wars. To
disappoint their final hope and nullify
, their heroic sacrifice would be de-
fiance TO their memory and an insult
to their sepulchers.
The most terrible thing about q dec
laration of war is that the governments
themselves cannot control it, Some
event, happening quite suddenly and
Unexpectedly. Is taken up by the press
the fame of patriotism Is famed and
national amour propre is aroused cur
rents Of opinion begin to show them
selves: impalpable forces set to work
and governments are powerless. Before
the people have bsen able to make their
views known, war breaks out and the
countries are covered with blood and
ruins. 1t will always be so unless we
make up our minds to appoint judges
for nations as well as for individuals.
We have heard plenty of ironical al
lusionS to the Tower of Babel, in which
nations with a multitude of tongues
worked for peace and drew up texts
which were certainly not academic.
Ridicule was poured on these mad at
! temptS, but something more than the
sarcasms of politicians had to be con-
! sidered-the instructive plain common
superior critics, did not laugh at the
idea. 1t has grown and fourished SIM
| ply because it found q refuge in the
hearts Of the people themselves.
The critics ask how a war can be
prevented from breaking out. The
! harm. we are told. will be done before
the Council Of the League of Nations
can be brought together, and when the
Council meets, how can its members BE-
persuaded to agree? In the meantime.
the conf1agration will spread and war
will bear its usual fruit.
One day, while I was minister of
! foreign affairs and also had the honor
of presiding over the Council of the
League of Nations, received telegram
informing me that conflict had broken
/ out between two Eastern countries. The
frontiers had been crossed, armies were
on the march and rifle and artillery
fire was heard. There was every reason
to fear that the conflict would not be
circumscribed to these two countries and
that we should be faced with another
series of those terrible events that cause
the bloodred wings of war to hover
! over the world.
What was to be done?
Immediately faced my responsibility
and acted upon it. With the consent
I of the permanent officials of the League
of Nations, summoned the members
of the Council to meet in Paris as soOr
as possible, and I was very soon able
to call upon the two countries to stay
their hand.
A few years ago. il any statesman had
ventured to predict that 1t would be pos
! Sible to take such action in the near
| future, he would have become nothing
lees than an object Of ridicule.
The Council of the League of Ma
tons assembled. The two countries con-
cerned put in an appearance. They were
asked II they would submit the case to
arbitration, and they replied in the
Affirmative.
I said to them: THAT is not enough
If the arbitrators are to think this mat
! ter over quietly and give an independent
Judgment. you must stop fighting and
stand apart. It must be a question OF
justice, and not of rifles and artillery
The two countries, greatly to their
credit, replied: ut shall be done. The
guns are silent and the troops are no
longer in contact. We await your judy
ment." In another two days all danger
Of war was at an end.