NORTHERN ADVOCATE DAILY THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1928. MIGHT OR RIGHT?

Northern Advocate, 20 December 1928, Page 4

NORTHERN ADVOCATE DAILY

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1928. MIGHT OR RIGHT?

Registered for transmission through the post as a newspaper.

The efficacy of leagues and committees and other organisations formed for the purpose of preventing war as the -arbiter of -disputes between nations has been the subject of considerable cynical criticism. 'Critics have been fearful that such admirable edifices would crumble into dust at the first trial of strength. Such fears were strengthened during the past few days by what was perilously close to an outbreak of war between Bolivia and Paraguay. These countries, though originally members of the League of Nations, had forfeited membership through failure to pay their subscriptions. They were , accordingly released, to a certain extent, from the obligations into which they had entered to submit to the decision of the League the dispute which had arisen over the division of the Gran Chaco territory. Critics of the Leagpe of Nations, overlooking this important matter, were inclined to regard the Bolivian-Paraguayan conflict as evidence of the failure of the League. Still further ground for pessimism was provided by an -angry scene which took place at Lugano, when the German representative (Dr. Stresemann) charged the League with failure to carry out the duty for which it was specially designed—the protection of minorities. This incident, coming so closely upon the South American trouble, naturally revived interest in the all important question whether commonsense will ever supplant force as the arbiter of international disputes. Today, however, the atmosphere has cleared. The Lugano outburst is regarded merely as one of those incidents inseparable from a situation in which overstrung humanity is much in evidence, and the South American tension has been very considerably relaxed. Both Bolivia and Paraguay have accepted the offices of the PanAmerican Arbitration Conference, of which Mr P, B. Kellogg is chairman, for an investigation of the causes of the trouble. The rivals have made preparations for war, and bloodshed has taken place, but the decision to submit the dispute to arbitration will in all probability mean the obviation of warfare. Pacificatory action is also being taken by Spain and the Vatican, while the League of Nations is patiently standing by awaiting fresh developments before calling another session to discuss the situation. These movements to put into practice the principles underlying the League

of Nations are particularly welcome at

tliis season of the year, when is to be celebrated the birth of the Prince of Peace. There is truly good ground for hope that the world is slowly but surely emerging from the age-long belief that might ~is right. Even though the inflammable natures of the Bolivians and Paraguayans should burst into military flame, the efforts which arc being made to prevent that disaster will go far to fix still more firmly the foundations of the League of Nations and all the other organisations animated by similar ideals.