LEAGUE OF NATIONS

Evening Post, Volume XCIX, Issue 121, 22 May 1920, Page 6

LEAGUE OF NATIONS

justice its object j INFORMING THE PUBLIC. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) LONDON, 25tfTSlarch. M. Appel (President, and Rector of the University of Paris), Monsieurs Risler and Doumer, and M. Prudhemmeau (general secretary), forming a deputation from the Association Francaiss pour la Societe dcs ,■ Nations, were received, by Mr. Balfour at the British Embassy, Paris, this week. In his address .Me Balfour said :— "The endeavour through the schools of the whole country to make children, and parents through children, acquainted with the real objects of the League of Nations seems to be a most admirable move, and one which is likely to have great results for the future. In England, we have not the same authority that you have in France over the actual work done in the schools, which are not j in all respects regulated by the Minister of Education. Nevertheless, our efforts in England, I hope, will not fall short of your efforts in France to make the general public of these too allied countries conscious of the great part which they ha.ye got to play if the League of Nations is really to prove the success which it ought to be, and which, in my belief, it will be. "No doubt, in France, as in England, critics of the League of Nations are to be found everywhere; it is a very easy thing to make light of the ideals that we have put before ourselves, and to announce beforehand that the task that .we have undertaken is not only difficult but is impossible. For my part, I believe people who use this kind of language are false to all ideals of humanity; and. they are doing much harm by making these concessions" to the spirit of cynical indifference which flourishes naturally in every civilised society." AN IDEAL—DIFFICULT, BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE. " The League of Nations is something new in the world. We have had nations co-operating together in alliances ever since history tells us anything about the political movements of .mankind; but never before have the civilised nations endeavoured to form an organisation which hao for its aim, not the advantage of this country or that country, but the advantage of all countries, of the weak not less than the strong, of the small not less than the great. If we can carry out that ideal, if we can* persuade the nations of the world that we are not merely a paper organisation for carrying out impossibie schemes of reform' it \vill_ be_ first by convincing them that justice is our object and that we mean to pursue justice by just methods. The task, I am convinced, is not an impossible one, though I feel that it is difficult.

"The difficulty is on all sides of us; there are those who tell that the League of Nations is necessarily so incompetent that it is impossible that it should carry out the tasks it has set itself to perform. On the other hand, there aro those who look round the world, who see the troubles in which, since the war, mankind is plunged—not merely international troubles but social troubles— and who say to themselves ' Here is our problem. We find it difficult to solve; let the League of- Nations set to work and solve it for us.' There are therefore two possible dangers, one that we may be thoucrht of so little account as to be entirely inefficacious; the other that we may be considered so capable 'that impossible tasks will be forced upon us to perform."

iNEED OF NATIONAL SUPPORT. "It is vain," continued Mr. Balfour, "to suppose that the machinery of the League of Nations wiil work of itself, or that any contrivance, however ingenious, however carefully safeguarded by , precautions on the one aide or the other, can, merely by the good will of a few devoted people, cany out the immense responsibilities which the League of Nations has undertaken. The Leaguo of Nations must have ths support of the nations which it represents; it must 'be an organ, not only of the Governments of the nations, but of all that is best in the nations themselves. Tho great part of the duty that you Have undertaken in France, and 1 which we who belong to the League of Nations Union in England have, taken to ourselves, is, to associate with the work of the League the best of all classes in] our two countries, working towards a, common end." PREDICTED HARMONY. "I do not know what measure of success will attend our efforts," remarked 1 Mr. Balfour, in conclusion. "If we completely fail, then I admit that the future of the League of Nations seems dark indeed. But I dp not believe that a failure of that kind is either probable or even possible. Ths degree of success we shall attain, I do not pretend to mea-i sure—l am no prophet, I cannot look into the future. But when I observe the zeal which marks my friends in England, and marks not less you, I carry away the conviction that, however hard may be the task that lies before us, our two great countries will put themselves in the forefront of this'great movement, and by harmonious co-oper-ation will contribute the largest share to the eventual success."