Nelson Evening Mail WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1925 THE PACT AND THE EMPIRE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 28 October 1925, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1925 THE PACT AND THE EMPIRE

THE verv incisive criticism of the Security Pact, which Mr Richard .Mdi has published in the Condon Morning Post, appears at first, sight to have revealed a serious defect in the agree merit. Mr Jebb contends that, as the Dominions and India are specifically excluded from the Pact, they would be obliged to proclaim their neutrality, in case Britain were forced into war by the Pact —(unless, of course. they decided to throw in their lot with her) —and that by declaring their neutrality they would be obliged to make no difference in their treatment of Britain and her enemy. It is contended, not without some show of reason, that the creation of such a- situation would mean the dis nipt ion of the British Empire.

Jsut Mr Jebb has overlooked one or two factors in the problem, lie seems to have overlooked the fact that the object of the Pact is to prevent war, not to occasion, it; and that, if there is no war waged under the terms of the Pact, there will be no need for the Dominions and India to solve the problem which Mr Jebb lias propounded. He overlooks the probability of the Dominions and India declaring themselves belligerents on the side of Britain, in circumstances which may be forced upon her by the Pact, though they might so declare themselves in order to retain the right to supply her with food rather than to assist her in a military sense. \\ e have had quite enough experience during the last ten years to show that war dors not prevent neutrals from trading with a belligerent nation which is able to maintain command of the sea. Dnr ing the Great War. Holland traded with Germany on the one hand, and with Bri tain on the other—subject, of course, to (lie restrictions created by blockade. In the circumstances imagined by Air Jebb, it would seem that there would be nothing to prevent- non-belligerent Dominions from trading with Britain as usual, though they might be restricted in the degree of shelter which they could give to her ships of war. But. it is one oT the conditions of the Pact that Germany shall become a member of the League of Nations. \\ hen Germany is a member of the League, she with all the other members will be bound by the. Covenant of the League, which is drawn up in such a. way that a member nation warring with another member nation becomes the enemy of all the nations which are members of the League. Tn such circumstances the Pact of Locarno would be largely superseded by the Covenant of the League, under which the Dominions and India are bound to become belligerents in defence of that- Covenant and in the cause'of peace, if called upon so to act by the Council of the League. Therefore, it will be seen that the objection to the Pact raised by the correspondent of 'Hie Morning Post is more academic than real. By standing out of the Pael the Dominions will nut endanger the safely of Hie Empire lo any greater degree than it is already endangered by (he League of Nation. 1 ). Ilia! League has no power whatever to in j tcvfero with the internal affairs of the British Empire, the self-governing nn- j linns comprising which are both aide and willing to preserve their unity in anv conceivable circumstances.