Evening star., 1932-06-19
The Leagues Don Quixote
heaiss Have Cusaded Causes Nsun

| trolled starved the old and stunted the
young took its toll Of the lives of the
unarmed masses as effectively as fly
ing metal and poison gas took lives on
the front. He has remained an advo-
cate of the economic blockade as an
effective instrument for Furnishing a
recalitrant people who .wantonly break
the peace.
Invited to Be Prince.
His career rose to its peak in the
five years following the war. He helped
| draft the covenant of the League in
Paris. The British place on the League
being filled, Gen. SmutS got him on
as representative for South Africa, a
country Cecil had never seen. He Sc
cured recognition of the Albanian claim
to nationhood. and was promptly in
vited to become their Mpret or prince
an honor which he felt obliged to
decline. A Boston jury adjudged him
winner of the Wilson peace prize OF
S25,000, and he went to America to
receive it and had a great personal sue
cess (but failed to convert Americans
to the League). He crossed lances with
Mussolini at Geneva and nearly un-
| horsed the Duce. He was elevated to
the peerage. 1t is, in effect, life title
He has no children.
Baldwin took him into his ministry as
Lord Privy Seal. a job without depart
mental responsibilities, and gave him his
hearts desire, the job of chief League
representative for the British govern
ment. He Immediately established him
self as the most commanding figure
in Geneva. Sitting back in his chair
at the Council table, aquiline face up
lifted. he would interject his views and
comments. He never raised his voice,
but every word he uttered could be
heard quite plainly in the farthest cor
ner Of the big room
His big hour came when Mussolini
had row with Greece and sent the
italian fleet to lombard Corfu Hal
An affront to the League. Adding in
suit to injury, the Duce denied the
competence of the League in the dis
pute. reputation of the solemn
covenant pledge! Cecil clapped on his
hat. arrived ominous as an electric
storm. Here comes Calvin" mur-
INJURED a secretarial wit. But nobody
laughed
Played Clever Lawyer.
He entered the council chamber
abruptly vigor in his angular move
ment, left arm stiff and thumb clenched
under his fingers, as always in mo-
mentS Of nervous tension. Everybody
knew that this formidable Englishman
was going to start something, but no.
body quite knew what He looked capa-
BILE Of starting a holy war. and perhaps
he wanted to. Rising. he asked the
interpreter to read out the clauses in
the covenant by which Italy was bound
under the Versailles treaty to submit
! her quarrel with Greece to League ar
| bitration. 1t was done. Then this
'strange man uttered a solemn warning
/ that if the covenant were ignored a
deadly blow would be dealt at the hope
/ Of new Europe.
| He was exalted. At the same time he
was playing the clever lawyer He
! had associated covenant and treaty
/ and hinted to the powers whose aid he
! wanted against Italy that if they did
not back him the treaty itself, that
| sacred document signed in Versailles
! Palace was so much waste paper Pom
! care. another lawyer, felt the shrewd
/ thrust
The League failed to Jump on Mus
solini. Diplomatic ingenuity found
/ way out. But Don QuiXote had charged
| the windmill and done it some damage.
! and there were plaudits from the by
ISLANDERS. Soon afterward he resigned
! from the government on an issue which
/ the country thought a minor one, but
which bulked big with him. He had
done as much once before. dropping
ministry on a point of principle.
! When the names of the British dele
cation for the arms conference were
published and Cecil's was not among
them the government was pressed for
explanations, and so was Cecil Both
maintained an impenetrable silence
1t was stated by some that he had a
simple and effective plan so certain to
bring about disarmament that a pre-
dominantly Tory British government
would have none of it. However, Cecil
gave his plan in a book published Just
in time to anticipate presentation of
the Gibson plan at Geneva The two
plans were found to be alike-scrap-
ping of submarines, tanks, mobile
heavy artillery and other aggressive
weapons. And the British backed the
Gibson plan. So that guess fell fiat.
No Hobbies or Sports.
1t has also been guessed that Cecil
was left out because Ramsay Mac
/ Donald feels there is no room on the
Geneva stage for two British prima
donnas. If there is going to be an
| arms conference success he wants it
and needs it.
But if you say that he is not now
big political power and that it is an
ungrateful world anyway-if you say
that you can stop guessing, because you
will be near enough to the mark for
all practical purposes.
Thus Viscount Cecil, two years of
70 now. but tough tireless and still in
the saddle. His life is quiet studious,
entirely unassuming and devotedfto his
causes. Fashionable salons, night clubs,
dance restaurants are world as re-
mote from his as Mars. He never goes
to the play. He seldom dimes out. He
has no hobbies. indulges in no sport
Most of his time is spent in his office
at League of Nations Union head
quarters.
If you had passed there one day
early last month you might have seen
him come down the steps with quick
stride and an unusual air of anima-
| ton. His wife-they have been mar
ried more than 40 years and are de-
voted-walks with him. He has to
catch train. Geneva calls him, his
spiritual home. The disarmament con-
ference? No. Liberia has some troubles
and League commission is investigat-
ing them. Viscount Cecil is member
and If he cannot couch lance
for disarmament he will for Liberia.