Evening star., 1939-06-18
= By David Lloyd George.

were before it began. Can any one who
has made study of the fundamental
elements of the international situation
say that present conditions are such as
to justify summoning conference of
the nations primarily concerned to clear
up the almost inextricable tangle into
which world affairs have been allowed
to develop? The effort to confer would
break down the moment you come to
determine who to summon
Situation Too Tense to Last.
Nevertheless the present situation can
not continue without an incident that
will provoke a local conflict, which in
its turn may precipitate world war.
What is happening today in Tientsin
and Shanghai would, before the Great
War, have been enough to rouse pas
sions which could only have been
quenched by blood. Poland and Ger
many are whetting their swords over
Danzig and the Corridor. They are
brandishing them behind their frontiers.
They may soon thrust them across.
The whole situation is too tense to
last. Human nerves cannot stand it
much longer. Their restraining grace is
nearing the point of exhaustion.
That is one reason why 1 deplore the
intolerable and inexplicable delays over
the Russian negotiations. I explained
in my last article the root cause of the
hesitancies and timidities which charac-
terize the pourparlers. 1 have no doubt
that they are due to theological antip-
athies and suspicious. But if world
peace is to be saved. it is vital that an
agreement be reached with Russia with
out further loss Of time.
Aggressors Unequal to Allies.
One supreme incentive for a speedy
arrangement with Russia is to be found
in the certainty that one of the inev-
liable results of an anti-aggression al
lance among Britain, France and Rus
sia would be that the aggressor states
would revise and moderate their objec-
tlveS. The resources at their command
are not adequate to face so formidable
a combination as that of the united mill
tary, naval and economic strength of
those three great empires II more es-
pecially if the United States of America
played the part of friendly neutral
They would see the wisdom of repressing
ambitions beyond their means.
AS civilian I naturally hesitate to
express an opinion on military prospects.
All the same, am not without some
practical acquaintance with the essen
tials of balancing forces. I had four and
half years experience in the political
direction of the biggest war ever waged
on this earth. This brought me into
association with military problems with
which we were confronted on three con-
tinents and on all the oceans of the
world. I discussed them with the lead
ing soldiers of France, Britain and
America and took part in consultations
with them that led to momentous de-
cisions
That experience gave me an insight
into the strategy of war, which is an
inseparable compound of military and
political considerations. With such
knowledge as I then acquired I have
from time to time judged the chances if
war came today.
Western Powers Need Russia.
have come definitely to the conclu-
sion that in any war which might now
be waged in Central Europe the demo-
cratic powers of the West would fail
unless they secured the help of Russia
But am also Of the opinion that an
effective military cooperation among
Russia, France and Britain would, in
the absence of inconceivable blunders
on the allied side, insure an overwhelm-
ing victory over any forces which the
dictators could put into the field.
That is why denounced as an act of
complete madness the one sided guar
antee so recklessly given Poland, Ru-
mania and Greece by France and our
selves without first obtaining the as
surance Of Russian aid. That is why I
have always urged the supreme impor-
tance Of bringing Russia into active