Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-09-06
BY THE VISCOUNT CECIL OF
CHELWOOD.

SnELWOOD.
LONDON, Sept. 6-War, particu-
larly in Europe, is grotesque and
wicked anachronism.
The League of Nations was an at
tempt to build up a barrier against
war, by international cooperation,
which was to act both as a pre-
Ventive to war and as an agency for
bringing the nations into more
friendly relations with one another.
For the moment it is in a condi-
ton suspended animation. Bpt
I think that in some form or an
other it will be essential to revive
it, unless somebody can think OF
some other form of international
organization for the purposes indi-
Gated which would be better than
revival of the League.
Two Sections Proposed.
I believe it would be necessary,
whether the League or some other
international organization is estab-
lished, to have two sections of it.
One would be probably mainly
European and would consist of those
nations which were prepared to act
together to prevent international ag-
erosion and, for the purpose, were
ready to take whatever steps might
be necessary. At all hazards we must
avoid misunderstanding on this
point. Nothing can be clearer than
the evidence that without some Wig
orous organization of the kind ag-
gressive nations will not be re-
strained. Mere remonstrance or
general disapproval have proved
quite ineffective for that purpose.
Beyond this, there ought to be a
larger organization, including as far
as possible, all civilized nations
whose business it would be to pro-
mote international cooperation in
all such matters as economics,
health, communications and trans
port, and so on.
In other words, I should like to
see a large all-embracing league
with much the same functions as
those of the existing League, and in
addition a chamber of the League
which would be more especially and
urgently charged with the duty Of
preserving peace.
Complicated by Frances Fall.
Many of us hoped that the nu-
cleus for this smaller and more
active body might be formed by a
close Anglo-French cooperation
which could be extended to cooper
alton with any other nations who
were ready to undertake the same
duties of actively preserving the
peace of the world. Unhappily, the
collapse of France seems for the
time being to have made that par
ticular scheme impracticable.
We must hope, however, that some
substitute for it will be found at the
peace conference.
In any case, we have got to take
into consideration the 10000, 900 Ger
mans and 100000 Italians who
have been guilty of aggression in this
case Some guarantee must, no
doubt. be imposed upon them to pre-
vent them repeating what they have
done on this occasion. but do not
myself believe in anything like an
attempt to suppress German or
Italian nationality.
AS soon as possible-and how soon
must depend upon the aggressive ma
tons themselves-We must hope that
they will become full co-partners in
the new system of peace.
One Clear GOal-Peace.
One thing is clear: That those
nations who take part in this new
effort to secure peace must recog-
rize that that is the chief object
of their whole external policy. Moth
ing is more important, for each ma
ton as for the whole community of
nations, than the maintenance of
peace, and it ought to command