Evening star., 1940-10-30
League Of Nations
Pavilion Closed
But Reoder Says IdeoI Of
WorIess World Lives
For Future

To the Editor of The Star:
At the end of dead-end street, at the
New York Worlds Fair, surrounded by
the closed buildings of countries that
used to be, stands the League of Ma
tions pavilion. From its dome, purposely
left uncompleted, fly the flags Of so ma
tions, including Norway, Denmark, Bel
gium, France, Holland, Rumania, Aus
tria. Poland and Czecho- -Slovakia. Here,
certainly, Is proof that gangsters for a
moment may control countries that de-
sired to live at peace, but all of their
forces can never conquer human spirit
or kill the souls of nations that will rise
again. Although difficult to visit be-
cause Of its isolated location, some
four millions Of people have inspected
the League Of Nations Building and
hundreds Of thousands have registered.
More than 500 young people have served
Al AtAdyo 90 lCCIuTc RulOSS,
In the words of Viscount Cecil:
THE League of Nations was an at
tempt to build up barrier against war
by international cooperation, which was
to act both as a preventive of war and
as an agency for bringing the nations
into more friendly relations with one an
other. Nothing is more important,
for each nation as for the whole commu-
nifty Of nations, than the maintenance of
peace and 1t ought to command and
receive the ungrudging support of all
civilized peoples. 1t was the lack of this
spirit-the spirit of an international
esprit de corps-which prevented
the League from taking the steps neces-
sary to put stop to aggression
AS The Star has pointed out editorial
ly, something not vastly at variance
with Geneva must be devised for the
cure of the disease Of greed and fear
and slaughter with which innocent mil
lions are afflicted. What better sugges-
ton is there?'
How interesting to note that the
League, conceived in these United States.
comes back now to this country to find
at Princeton haven. AS Carl j. Ham
bro, president of the 18th Assembly of
the League, said recently in appreciation
OF the Princeton invitation:
You can hardly understand how much
1t meant at the moment-not materially.
but morally and from the psychological
point of view. 1t was more than an en-
couragement, it was an inspiration. 1t
gave proof that all the competent unos-
tentatious, patient, good work accom-
plished during 20 years-in practically
every field OF human activity, work of
sitting and consolidating, of collecting,
classifying and presenting facts. of unit
ing the experts of every country in an
exchange of experiences, Of establishing
a universal Clearinghouse for progressive
and constructive ideas-it gave proof
that this work had not been entirely
wasted. but bread thrown upon the
waters"
Thus, to Woodrow Wilson's old home
from which he set out to become Presi-
dent OF the United States and later
founder of the League of Nations, re-
turns what once was and will yet be, the
chief hope of peaceful world. To quote
Arthur Sweetser, American member of
the secretariat of the League:
THE record of the League of Nations
in these past 20 years is neither all
black nor all white. The League proved
inadequate to avert the great catastro-
phe which many had hoped 1t might
avert. Yet this failure cannot destroy
the fact that the League experiment.
during its first brief period of life, made
appreciable contributions not only to the
solution of day-to-day problems but even
more to the opening up of new subjects
and new methods from which We may
derive inspiration and hope for the fu-
ture. This experience has been deeply
valuable, for it marks a phase in the
slow transition of mankind from inter-
national anarchy to the world COM
munity."
At Geneva the marble palace of the
League of Nations still stands. 1t is
either white sepulcher in which are
buried the dead hopes for peace of our
generation, or it is a symbol of the hope
OF the world, hope which must again
be realized If nations are to be placed
upon firm basis of international CO.
operation and morality.
For it was the nations of the world
which erected the buildings at Geneva
all nations had part in it. Not only
Britain and France, but Germany, Italy,
Japan and Russia made their contribu-
ton. 1t Is the only physical possession
which the nations of the world hold in
common. What is going to be done with
this building? The only possession
which nations hold in common may be
used, If nations so desire.
1t has been well said, ITO those who
need a symbol there is always before
them the great white building on the
shore of Lake Geneva, the only common
possession of the whole human family,
which for while held great light aloft
and which is destined to hold still great
er light aloft in the near future"
On Sunday, october 27, the League
exhibit at the fair closed its doors. But
1t has been symbol for world order as
represented by the League of Nations,
and those who have visited the building
have caught a glimpse of that which
might have been and will yet be.
MELVIN D. HILDRETH,
Chairman, Washington COMMITTEES