The New Zealand Times. THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 1922. U.S.A. AT HAGUE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11224, 1 June 1922, Page 4

The New Zealand Times. THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 1922. U.S.A. AT HAGUE

While America declined to go to Genoa, there seems to be a not too remote possibility that she will eventually decide to attend The Hague Conference—the fourteenth to be held in Europe since the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. Indeed, a cable from Washington the other day distinctly gave the impression that America had practically made up her mind •to go to The Hague, and only refrained from saying so with a view to putting pressure on, the Russian Government to abandon its impossible attitude. The aim of the United States seemed to be, in short, to compel the Russian leaders to realise that, in Mr Lloyd George’s trenchant phrase, “they cannot get credit from the West on the basis of confiscation and repudiation of debt.” Further, Mr Vanderlipp, who, though not a delegate, held a watching for America at the Genoa Conference, has declared that if the reconstruction of Europe is too long delayed, he believes that the great tragedy of Europe, a tragedy surpassing even that of the late war, will be in the future, and that its scene may be in the British Isles. This is the more possible owing to the rapid developments being made in aviation and the recent discovery of a method of making gas-bombs so poisonous that a fleet of aeroplanes showering them down could practically annihilate in a very few hours even so big a city as London. For this, as Lord Hugh Cecil recently declared in the House of Commons, the knowledge that a return visit of British acro-

planes could just as speedily and effectively blot out Berlin and other great Continental cities, would afford very small comfort.

The fact of the matter is, of course, that, with the progressively more dead. ]y weapons -of warfare that science iu ever producing, the world simply cannot afford another large-scale war. “ ‘Birds in their little nests agree’ because they would fall out if they didn’t,’’ said the cynic. For the birds to fall out would mean annihilation; and the civilised nations of the earth must realise, and realise full soon, if our twentieth century civilisation is to be saved, that for them to fall out again as they fell out in 1914 can only mean utter annihilation. In such a world catastrophe, the United States could not but be involved. The cabled statement by Senator Borah is not only a clear recognition of this fact, but emphasises the points—(l) That the Russian difficulty is the crux of the whole problem; and (2) that, not only humanitarianism and love of peace, but also sheer business necessity call upon the nations of the world to unite in securing an amicable and sound solution of the difficulty. “Europe,” he says, “will not resume her purchasing power until she adjusts the Russian question. The present policy of refusing to deal with Russia keeps the world in a turmoil, and threatens another war. As soon as Russia is again recognised as a member of the family of nations, it will have a most pacifying and beneficial effect on Europe and the whole world.” Mr Lloyd George, in outlining, in the House of Commons, the work done at Genoa, stressed the same point. Not a single step 1 of any importance, he said, had been' taken throughout the conference without the fullest consultation with India’s and the Dominions’ delegates, all of whom agreed, however much they might dislike the Soviet, that Europe was bound to make some arrangement with Russia to enable that country to contribute towards the restoration of the world’s trade. The Empire’s whole delegation devoted its utmost strength daily trying to win the battle for the peace of the world. No small measure of success attend ed the efforts thus made; for, not only is a further conference to be held at The Hague, with, we venture to think, a considerably better prospect of success; but, to prevent conflict in Europe pending a settlement, a ninemonths’ pact of peace was embodied in a solemn declaration entered into by all the Powers present at Genoa. America’s absence from Genoa was greatly to he deplored; but, while ■ America declined to go to Genoa, she took steps, it has been pointed out, to make that gathering more important by insisting upon Britain’s repayment of the hpge sum of 972 millions sterling borrowed from her during the war. That at once set Britain thinking about the still huger sums that the Allies in Europe had borrowed from Britain, and on which Britain now wants interest. The situation is very piquant and puzzling. But it is clear that our European Allies cannot possibly pay Britain —nor can Britain pay America until- European trade is set going again; and that, again, is impossible without the hearty co-ordi. nation of all the countries on the Continent, not least Russia, which owes Britain £567,892,000. France, again, owes Britain £572,524,000; and Italy owes her: £502,074,000. Not only humanitarian motives, therefore, and those of the strongest, call upon America to go to The Hague, but economic and business interests, of the most vital and most important, urge her in the same direction. And if she goes to The Hague, she must surely, also, enter at long last into the League of Nationß. As Professor Pringle stated in his excellent address at the Rotary Club, the object of the League of Nations was to enable the nations not only to work out their individual destinies, but to co-operate together for the good of each and all. f§ome things could be done by the nations as individuals. Others could only be done by international co-operation; and, apart from such co-operation, he did not think there was any future for Europe. Only such co-operation could' bring stability, economic and political; and without such stability wo would have a spirit of Bolshevism throughout Europe that would wreck everything No future for Europe would mean no future for America, too. America, in the 1.W.W., has her own particular brand of Bolsheviks; and the United States, surely, must now realise the absolute necessity for her helping Britain to secure the political, economic, and social .equilibrium, not only , of Europe but of the world at large. This Amerioa can only do by going to The Hague and by throwing herself wholeheartedly into the great work that the League of Nations has up to date been struggling so hard to do without her. Tho wonder, under the circumstances, is, not that the League has done so little, but that it has done so much and* done it so well.