Evening star., 1929-01-03

Running like golden thread through
comments woven about the acceptance
by Bolivia and Paraguay of the good
offices Of the Pan-American Conference
to end a war threat between them is
a happy confidence that this result is
proof of the tangible effect OF that
somewhat intangible entity called the
moral opinion of mankind"
Referring to "the organized opinion
of mankind" in regard to the clash
between Bolivia and Paraguay, the
Omaha World Herald says: THAT opin-
ion made itself manifest in various ways,
but the most important ones were the
organized power of the church, speak
ing through Pope Plus; the organized
power of the League of Nations. speak
ing from Geneva, and the organized
power of the Pan-American Conference,
speaking from Washington. 1t was the
mediation of the Pan American organ
ization which the bellicose republics
finally accepted"
"The fortunate outcome of this
episode, although it concerned only two
small nations, Is an example of what
the expressed moral judgment of the
world may accomplish declares the
Baltimore Sun, while the Fort Worth
Telegram. stating that nothing
quite like the halt of the war threat in
South America has ever before hap
pened in this modern world" finds in
this accomplishment something heart
ening to all the peace forces of the
world"
With this last thought the Utica
Observer-Dispatch agrees, saying: IF
the pressure OF public opinion can pre-
vent two nations from engaging in war
in South America, it can repeat the
good work elsewhere" Similarly the
Butte Montana Standard sees the
sentiment against war actually pre-
Sented, most valuable precedent esGab-
lished which will be used in other
threatened international arguments"
and an important step taken in the
task OF civilizing the world"
The Chicago Daily News considers
that "the great ideal of permanent
peace and good will among men has
won some notable victories in recent
weeks" and the Buffalo Evening News
-analyzes public opinion of today as
treating war itself as the greater wrong,
and grievances as matters which may
be adjusted by themselves more easily
without conflict
Raising the question as to what eff
feet public opinion could have had with
out the proper machinery through which
to express itself, the Richmond News
Leader observes: LAS the world gathers
experience in the prevention of the
many wars that have been threatened
since 1918, the first essential becomes
plain. Whatever else is available or
is lacking. there must be some ma
chinery OF conciliation already set up
and ready to operate as soon as differ
ences between nations become serious"
The Philadelphia Evening Bulletin is
impressed by the tact with which the
League of Nations Council conducted
Its part In the proceedings, saying:
The League Council was forced to take
some action. but confined its effort to
the expression of hope that the two
countries would not come to hostilities."
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle considers
that 1.-The Pan-American Conference
wins increased prestige because of its
successful intervention " The Hunting
ton Advertiser sums up the opinion held
by the press generally when it says:
Peace machinery, provided through the
cooperation of fOrward-looking nations.
has been vindica.ed. 1t may not always
avert war, but it is gratifying to know
that it is available and will achieve
good when belligerent nations can be
persuaded to make use of 1t in a crisis"
I'm a situation as inflammable as
that between Bolivia and Paraguay not
until the last spark has been extin-
guished is it time to celebrate the pre-
vention of conflagration," the San
Francisco Chronicle remarks, adding,
but If both the countries mean by their
notes accepting mediation that they are
submitting their cases without reserva-
ton to the Pan-American Arbitration
Conference the principle of settlement
of international disputes by peaceable
means has achieved a notable victory"
X II v
How deep-seated Is the boundary dis
pute which Is back Of the clash between
the two countries Is indicated by the
San Francisco Bulletin, which explains:
Thousands of treaties, papers and
documents relate to the case before the
conference. Bolivia claims the disputed
land by charter from Spain in 1853
Paraguays claims date from the middle
Of the nineteenth century. and are