Montana labor news., 1936-08-06
Collective Security Ends
League Dead
By Pierre Van Psassen
Federated Press

ACH6NA CAA1A9s
Tor conceive security rests upon a
high sense OF International discipline
and upon a constant readiness on the
part OF every one OF its g%uarantors to
isolate the aggressor. Both conditions
are lacking IN Europe. Collective secur-
ity without sanctions, without a spon-
taneous or at least an automatic ap-
piication OF sanctions, is only lip-ser-
wee. In the case OF Japan's attack on
China nobody moved. In the case OIL
Mussolini's attack on Ethiopia, it was
Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, Albania
and Bulgaria who refused to participate
in sanctions.
In the case OF Hitler's breach OF the
Versailles and Locarno treaties, Pc
land, Hungary, Austria and Italy OUT
right refused to envisage coereiye mea-
sures against the Reich, while the So
called neutral block consisting OF Nor
way, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Fin
land, Switzerland, Spain and Portugal
were not to be moved to join France
in penalizing the treaty-breaker. Nor
was Britain. The majority in Europe
is thus against collective security.
This means that the League OF Ma
tons loses the basic OF its existence.
In fact, the league is now dead.
1t has not been buried yet. The
man who killed it, Adolf Hitler, will be
the one to embalm it, if ever he re-
turns to Geneva. The Quotations in the
German press are well-founded. The
primary aim OF brown diplomacy %
demonstrate that peace is not indivis-
IDLE has been achieved. Its second
aim, that OF securing Germany a free
hand in eastern and southern Europe
appears realizable. Nothing has served
Germany so much as the declaration
OF neutrality on the part OF the ma
jority Of European states. These states
themselves have destroyed the basis
Of International collaboration by re-
fusing, or h%esitating, to carry out their
pledge to as a solid phalanx
against the aggressor. Europe has
silently legitimized Hitler's violent
breach OF treaties on March 7 and has
Herewith given German Fascism the
strategic possibility of an attack against
east and south Europe. Democracy is
in full retreat before Fascism.
A loose, half-defined Anglo-French
understanding does not suffice to hold
the German Fascist aggressor in check.
Great Britain cannot act as guarantor
OF peace in eastern Europe without
first having concluded a military alli-
ance with France and with the Soviet
Union. But that would involve defin-
lite commitments. Definite commit
ments Of this sort are not easily made
in London. Britain would prefer to
adopt a neutral attitude; now give in
a little on this side - for instance sign
a naval convention with Germany one
day, which makes it impossible for
France and Russia to go to each 9TH
er's aid by the Baltic route in the event
of war; allow conversations to be held
the next day between the British and
French Belgian war staffs = thus frig-
htening Germany with the idea Of a
possible Anglo-French alliance, only
to have an announcement made on a
third day that these conversations mean
nothing and that British military aid
to France is ouly guaranteed in the
event Of an %unprovoked German at
tack in the course OF the present ne
gotiations; that is to say, during the
coming four or five months, when it
should be remarked, Germany has no
idea Of attacking either France or
Belgium.
Fantastic things are happening in
Europe. The creator OF an army which
makes all Europe tremble is hailed as
an Apostle Of Peace. Sir Eustace
Percy resigns from the Baldwin cab
met and tells the world next day that
"the only aggressor and the only threat
to peace comes from Berlin" Ramsay
Macdonald, whose reputation rests
upon his onetime determined pacifism,
has a secret t~ete-a-tete luncheon with
Joachim Won Ribbentrop, the represent
tative of a state which holds 10000
pacificts and liberals without trial in
concentration camps. But the most
fantastic news which you will hear one
Of these days is when Germany comes
asking for a loan in London to keep
her arament campaign going. For
without that armament campaign, it
will be pointed out (although not in
these words), Germany faces a grave
and SCATTERING economic crisis which
might endanger the very existence of
the Nazi regime
It lies within the power of France
and the U. S. S. R. to seize the initia-
tive Of peace. But France and Russia
cannot alone swerve Europe in a new
course.
Yet the two outstanding problems
on which everything else hinges in
Europe can well be solved and quite
peacefully. But only under a system
of socialist collaboration. Since this is
out of the question SO long as Germany
is under Hitler only a revolution in
Germany can save Europe from war.
That revolution can be brought about
by the collaboration of the peoples Of
Russia and France in forcing their
governments to follow a policy Of de-