Evening star., 1935-12-29

golden era Of the League. 1nterna-
tional cooperation was at its height
at Locarno. But there was then no
irritating economic crisis, no national
istic psychology and no sword-rattling
statesmen. MuSSolini was still under
control and Pilsudski, Dollfuss, Prince
Starhemberg, Hitler and the Japa-
nese militaristS had not arisen. The
League was living in a fools paradise
and words we're beautiful things" be-
cause Mussolini and Hitler had not
arrived to convince their followers
that gums, daggers and cannon were
much more beautiful" Personal and
political liberty and democracy had
value because the people and states
men had not forgotten the awful
ness of the World War The dogma
that women should raise sons and
daughters to be sacrificed on the war
altars of their country had not been
advanced and men did not accept
the creed that it was better to live
one day like lion than a decade
like a sheep" Mussolini and Hitler
had not had their chance to con-
vince a generation which did not re-
member 1914-1918 that war is the
crucible in which character is forged"
and that strife is as necessary for
the development of man as mother
hood is for the fulfillment Of woman
hood"
Six years of the economic crisis.
with its accompaniment Of unemploy-
ment, hunger, deprivation and social
unrest gave the dictators their chance.
It also confronted the democracies
of the world-among which England
and France still stand as leaders
with the choice of backing up the
League or turning back to the diplo-
macy of yesterday.
Obviously-from the developments
of the last few months-there will
be no turning back The League, as
it is now operated, may not be enough.
It may be supplemented, for a while,
with bi-lateral and multi-lateral de-
fensive alliances. But these are being
consummated-if not entirely con-
cluded-out in the open. woodrow
Wilson's catch phrase Of open COW
enants openly arrived at" has become
80 per cent reality. In addition no
government in Europe today dares
negotiate defensive" alliance with
out first assuring its people and other
nations that it will be concluded and
embodied within the framework OF
the League. No one will argue that
open treaties secretly arrived at are
not better than secret treaties secretly
arrived at.
Public Opinion Triumphs.
Another development of 1885 has
been the triumph of so-called public
opinion. Ephemeral at best, public
opinion in Europe is usually nodded
to conform to government policy, while
in the United States. government pol
icy is shaped to conform to public
opinion. The Italo- Ethiopian con-
troversy, however, provided an oppor-
tunity for the public to turn the tables.
One factor that did not enter into the
oxford peace ballot In England was
the government. In fact, the Baldwin
Macdonald regime did everything
within its power to discredit the
plebiscite. Then, as an astute politi-
cal maneuver, it utilized the informa-
ton gained to win the election. But
when Baldwin's cabinet thought it
could break its campaign pledges with
impunity, Britatn's populace rose as
one man. The quick resignation of
Sir Samuel Hoare and appointment Of
Capt. Anthony Eden as foreign min
lister saved Baldwin-temporarily, at
least.
In France a similar situation arose
Backed by the powerful reactionary
group and the Fascist Croix de Feu,
Laval thought he could swing his
country behind pro-Italian policy.
He has been disillusioned. The COM
mon front handed him an ultimatum
and he complied with it. Now with
Edouard Herriot likely to succeed as
premier, France is more solidly behind
the League than she has been since
Brands day.
When Sir Eric Drumniond resigned