AUSTRALIAN JUDGE.

Grey River Argus, 11 August 1925, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN JUDGE.

ON PEACE TREATY. PEOPLE KEPT IN IGNORANCE. On his recent return to Australia from the I uired States. Mr Justice Higgins, who for some years presided over the Federal Arbitration < oart lectured to the I’eiure Society in Melbourne. la regard to the United States, ths lecturer said he had been there on two previous occasions, but lie had never seen such great eagerness for public service and research as ho had seen in th e States during his last visit. As to the League of Nations, he met some of the principal men who had rejected it. They had backed up President Wilson tiil they' found out what he had agree.! to, and then they turned right round. It v..is not from any selfishness not fr.mi any carelessness, that they rejected the League. Whether they were right or wrong, they thought the League of Nations was not a league of all nations, but only a league of some nations. The ythought it was an effort to perpetuate the unjust trea y of Versailles. The Australian peepe had not been let into the facts of wist had been going on. Britain and Jr;, ice had accepted President Wilaoi.’s feuttecn points as a basis for the treaty, and upon those fourteen points be ng accepted Germany threw up the sponge. Then Germany was called upon to s gn a treaty without discussion. In t. is treaty the fourteen points npon which the Allies had agreed were abandoned. For instance, one of the points was that no indemnity w-as to be paid except for property destroyed, but in the treaty there was a provision for the payment of pensions and allowances lo the soldiers of the Allied armies. Ho was anxious that members of the Fence Society should understand that thera was in the United States a great uiploughed field of people who vers anxious to help the world to ntlnin peace. They had eagerly seized the prospect of a world court to settle Imputes, but. iv-fortunately, those who had control of things with us did not let the people of Australia know wl nt was going on. He said with perteet confidence that the people of the United States were rtor P eager than ever they were for some orderly nrrangment by’ which peace could be secured with more or less certainty.