TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER. 23, 1924. THE GENEVA CONFERENCE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 23 September 1924, Page 4

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER. 23, 1924. THE GENEVA CONFERENCE.

This year's conference of the League of Nations at, Geneva has spent considerable time npon discussing ways and means of .securing and safeguarding the peace of the world, but whether or not practical results will follow remains to be seen. The desire for world peace is 'perhaps more widespread than at any time in history, and the newspapers for weeks past have published many of the views of the greatest men living upon the question. But the task of the League of Nations is something far more difficult than discussion of the problem, and it is clear from the reports cabled that, as soon as a definite proposal along practical lines is brought forward, its weaknesses are seized upon and but little advance is made. Dr. Benes, the Czechoslovakian leader, proposed a few days ago that the British Navy should become, as it were, the world’s policeman. His proposal was indeed a great tribute to the British Empire and our national sense of justice, but unfortunately his idea would not work. We remember that one of Britain’s statesman (the late Mr Bonar Law) said a few years ago that Britain could not undertake the task of being the world’s policeman. Were Dr. Benes’ proposal acceptable to the nations, who is to pay the cost of maintaining an efficient British Navy? Moreover, if a dispute arose between two nations — sav, Japan and America—and the League of Nations pronounced America to be the aggressor, France and Italy perhaps dissenting, the difficulties of the “policeman” would be enormous. The duty of the Navy would be to establish an economic blockade. In the Great War the British Navy did estah lish a blockade of Germany, and in the early days of the conflict, efforts were made by America to break through it. Suppose that the British Navy were called on, as the world’s policeman, to blockade America under instructions from the League of Nations, and suppose Italy and France decided that, as they were not of opinion that America was the aggressor, they had a right to freedom of trade, it can easily be seen that complications would rapidly develop and there would be a dispute between Britain and France and Italy. Japan, in that case, would have one enemy; Britain would have three. Dr. Benes’ suggestion is obviously unacceptable. The League has, however, made better progress in the direction of arbitration, and France is reported by the Morning Post to have “advanced the matter of disarmament to an extent so far unhoped for.” Mr Arthur Henderson has announced that a conference on disarmament will be held in the middle of next year, and that America and Germany will be invited to take part.

We think that it is more likely that progress will be made by means of arbitration and the acceptance of disarmament plans than by appointing any one .nation as policeman. It is clear that the nations are unwilling to accept any scheme in which some or all of them may be called upon to use their military and naval forces to protect weaker nations or to take sides in a dispute with which they may. not be concerned. Arbitration and an allround reduction of armaments appear to provide a more practical solution of the problem, which is so easy to discuss, but so difficult to solve. For some years before the war arbitration was resorted to and many disputes were settled amicably, but in 1914 Germany alone of the European nations refused td refer the dispute to arbitration, though Britain went to extreme lengths to prevent hostilities. Germany and her leaders had no will for peace, and probably, unless some effective method, such as all-round disarmament, can be found, in years to come other nations, full of aggressive ambitions, will rise rip and challenge their neighbours. They may express the keenest desire for peace now, but in twenty or thirty years’ time they may be as keen for war as Germany was ten years ago. However, frequent discussion and suggestion should do something to-encour-age the world to strengthen peaceful relationships, and it is to be hoped that when the next conference on disarmament is held the desire for peace animating all countries will be so strong that decisions for extensive reductions in armaments will be made and carried out.