The Dominion SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1929. THE PATH OF PEACE

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 51, 23 November 1929, Page 10

The Dominion SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1929. THE PATH OF PEACE

0 Five of the great naval and military Powers of the world are to meet shortly to consider the next step in the general disarmament of the nations. A truly remarkable advance has been made along the path of peace since the signing of the Armistice on November 11, 19 p eaC e of Versailles was a dictated peace. The Armistice, on paper, had put the Central Powers definitely out of action as belligerents and out of court in diplomacy. From Versailles, nevertheless, came the ground plan of a new order of things, the League of Nations for the conservation of peace and the abolition of war. Subsequent events, however, showed that if the peace idea, was to survive, it would require to be animated by a public opinion inspired by a sincere humanitarianism. ’ . No real advance in the world peace movement was achieved until the signing of the Locarno Treaties in 1925. In the years between, international suspicions and jealousies had on severa. occasions brought rival interests to the verge of another conflict. Locarno was the first win for peaceful negotiation against the arbitrament of war. In accordance with its stipulations,, the signatory Powers agreed to submit all future disputes to judicial, treatment, with the League of Nations acting as a Court- The inviolability of the frontiers between Germany and Belgium, and Germany and France, was guaranteed by a security, compact. Arising out of the Locarno agreement were six treaties between various nations. Germany was signatory to four identic. treaties with her territorial neighbours, in which it was agreed to set. up peaceful machinery for the settlement of any disputes which did not yield to ordinary diplomatic treatment. It is important to note, as pertinent to the gradual development of the anti-war ideal, that neither the security compact nor the subsidiary- treaties of Locarno had the statutory effect of outlawing war. That was to come later. In the meantime it was agreed that there might arise circumstances in which resort to war would lie legitimate. If Germany attacked France, the latter would be entitled to fight, with the assistance of Belgium, Italy, and Great Britain. If France attacked Germany the latter would have the assistance, in self-defence, of the other nations. ■ Thus, while Locarno did not outlaw war, r it made .it very definitely a difficult proposition. The real spirit of Locarno was admirably defined by the late Dr. Stresemann when he said:

“We have undertaken to Initial this Treaty because we believe that only on the lines of friendly neighbourliness can there be a real development of States and peoples, which nowhere is more needed- than amongst the cultural States of Europe, whose peoples have so incessantly suffered in the past.”

Before Locarno the menace of another war was never very remote. After, it became so remote that its final dispersal as an instrument of policy became a possibility that could be I seriously discussed. Much water had to flow under the bridge, however, before the Locarno treaties could become operative. A condition precedent was the admittance-of Germany to the League of Nations. Had it not been for Locarno the admittance of Germany might have been delayed for years. Locarno actually hastened the event, and thus rehabilitated, Germany was enabled to enter on a status of equality into subsequent discussions on the peace question. When the history of the peace movement comes to be placed in its true perspective it will be seen that it was the Locarno Pact that made all subsequent achievements possible, and British prescience and diplomacy that made Locarno possible. Upon this substantial achievement Mr. Frank Kellogg was able, on behalf of the United States, to make a notable contribution to the further progress of the movement in his celebrated pact for the outlawry of war as an instrument of policy. These achievements have made much more feasible and practicable a process of general disarmament by instalments. Much has already been accomplished m that direction. More might have been achieved but for unfortunate misconceptions on the part of international representatives as to the true basis of disarmament. It has remained for President Hoover and Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, building on the successes and the failures of past negotiations, to prepare the ground for the next attempt to achieve a real advance in the direction of disarmament. There can be little doubt that the coming Conference will achieve something. Public opinion is exerting an increasing pressure on its representative statesmen to push forward with greater expedition towards the ideal of permanent international peace. In the end it is public opinion that determines all great issues, however politicians and statesmen may boggle them in the meantime.