The New Zealand Times. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1924. WORLD’S POLICEMAN

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 11934, 15 September 1924, Page 6

The New Zealand Times. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1924. WORLD’S POLICEMAN

While the British Navy has often ahthfl in the past as a voluntary, sblfappointed special constable of the hefiii fo-ptfttitfg ddwh p'ira tif; Btt&tr&sitig -tfifi slave tr&te; -Ahd th 4 lik«P—lt seemS let be quite likely that “in the not far distant future,” as Mr SlaSsey frohid Shy, the Navy, hf frlljch We fitS ill So proud, may function, as the officiaiiyappointed World’s Ocean Policeman. The possibility of ltd Being caifod tfoom tij act in this new role is Opened up by the fact th4t the Third t&mmitteß of tHB league of NStidfis. has commenced the consideration of the constitutional find ieghl fiSJt4ct bf. thb articles of the Covenant with regard to inteihstfonal i|ist>uted arid tHe etifoteel inent df the of the Court of Arhitratibn. it ÜBI at long lust been clehriy thfif It tHB HfidHiSfl hf that ediitt—as<| tfie sahiq necessarily apjiiifes to the jtrdgttienth hf thh liitetUatfoMt Gfjfift of Justibe—-Bfß td hive Shy weight; they ififist hfive ; hefiihi theitt thh sflttctiim of sufficieht force to ebstfi*4 that tifey BtS &atrihd htit; and It appears, ni>t iiiififipufAlly, i'6 68 tinivhrdaliy retogniseci that, so tat qs tjie of thh sets is fcbncerned; the British ( iB, the 868 tfifit . thh league must look to in time of heed. Tills hot ifihrfely Because the British N Avy i| tlie Arid f He fltf hugest In the wjiblA world; Blit bhcfihfo it hdk oter and ovet Again shown itself cipafeie Bf, £&tsitig olit thht duty; not ohiy frith the gfoitetf Efficiency Blit with the . utmost impiirtfojity. Thg efficibrtfcy of httr Nffvy, particularly, wM ivell eihffiijlitlhct diifiifg thh Great Wqr. tjut for the fact that thh .BHtiSli Grind Bidet held’ . the sofo afetMt.thS ri&vSi MifcHt hf “foe mad dhg of feurope,” the WefohHi .(fottite-Si cies could hover have brought the militarist alitofcfilej hf GerihShy id fth kiiees; it, frill i{Bi fritlfoiit .jfofid rAflson. that St. iidilehetif, one„ of the Frbflcll dglEgathS <sn the Third Comnlittee of , thd Stated thht; “Though iGritajh Uißs oilce. jfeghrded a 8 the tyhaht of the seas”—it rathhf Bh; “the tioliceijikii hf the —“the war jlad whit I feodd tyrant the British vfks.” tt is, HdwSveh, it Mg stjeji fthm the positfon of gjlgcifll fcbhßtßßll of the seks & that of tile officially recbghitfeH lt 7 bfld’s Oceaii Policemari; ahß It will hfe ali the Bitter, Both for Britain in particular aiid fdr t&8 wh.Hd iri general; that heir role as guardian of tllg ggfgn Bhoiil'd 6e regularised. (i witll M. , Lolil cneiif; we aji Hofie that there wjli fbr the fti.tdr'e Be fetter wars than in the pfifc, it 18 Vefy ftgfcesshfjf tMSt the Ileague of Nations, shhli he to deal firmly and effectively; should hccaeiotl litifdriiiriitdty aHte, With ally cohl duct litely td chitiS & hfeagfi gf. thd phace. . Economic sanctions. -Sulf of ’ cburSe, he thh first feSort of tHe League ih fefidgavohr tb hrifbr’dg the dhgifllons of the Coxirt of Inferiiatidtial Jiisl ties or the Arbitration Court. The economic hbycotl is" in itself a very powerful weapon for llie maintenance Of internatioiial latv and order; But for the Sdehtiate bnfdfgSnl’ent fcf that Boycott, a. certain ahiouht of JiliySical force dould doubtless ofteii Be iiecessaty. It Tteiiia, at Shy fate, he ahsbiiitely neceßsriry to have stlch force in rcchrve to make tile econoihip boycott effective and to carry but the findings df the courts, if iihed Be, By force df ianAi., Henhe Sir Cecil feturst, outlining the various difficultica that confront Britain in regard to these matters. Hated thß committee for a more precise definition of what is required, in order to ascertain whether: if the TiftihiTc called up the forcßi of ail tfib Powers to oh-'

forcing arbitration, that would necessitate the British Fleet patrolling the seas and protecting neutrals. He pointed out that, in extending the League's force to’ the ocean highways, a’nd preventing trade with the enemy, | the fleet would almost certainly come into conbict With other nations. Britain, therefore, wanted the Covenant Of the League defined clearly to pro- 1 vide that if, hiving ihcepted the ootnt)uisofy arbitration claSise, hir heet, it the League’s command, undertook iertiin station,’ ft would n’ot liter he called tb the Court because that action violated' s'om'e other Power’s rights. Sir Cisiff Sufst' ac'coi'dingly isked' that the ilause in. question Be so defined as to prdveht Britain,' while prefteeting an atta'cki'fi country, becofiffiig hirself the aggressor, This is a very necessary tdfeguard; and the Bi?lish dominion flelegitßs rightly • agridd fiith' t he’-gen'et' ral trend of his speech. Of cotirde, it is’ Aot to Be expected' that the British Navy would be asked to carry out the whole of the work connected with the policing of the seas. It is qifite’ possible’ that' in’ the Me'dfteiret’ nbifi Arid hi other Buropean waters' the French and the Italian NAvied; and in the’ Pacific thb' United .States' add the Jasa'n'4se Nfiviei, might' Be askeß to' lend a hand; and we in New Zealand; at dll can heVer forget with wha’t exehipfary ToyaTty and efficiency the Japanese Navy carried out its duty of assisting in the policing of the Patihd and in the convoying of our reinforcements to the , distqiit fronts of the World War. But the clearer definition of the cl arise in rplestioii to' meet the' cdse of the British' Navy would dovihtlesS meet the case of the other navies' alsd. The prpbleni of aii thtefnational Air Police will probably also’ have td he fSidd i it the hear future; but, Iti so tAr,, at any ra'te, as it' Vtas required to work in co-operation with the Naval Police Force, the air force Wfiuld be governed by the provisions applying to naval forces., The difficulties with regard to aii International Land Police are much greater than these ifl connec : tion with either, naval or air forced; blit these difficulties Will Hate td be fdhhci by the' League; dhef fftd satirist they fxf laced tjie better for all confcerned. The eolation of tlie problem' bf Shcuirfo for Ptß&ei iitd Bfelgiifth—: hfid hot for them aioneH-ik ahsolutety hssehtial to the future peace and Wellaeitig of Eiifdpe, iii tlid first pi ibdj fififi if the world as d whole' J ahd for most Of the .European nations the problem Is; iii the niaih, a rfitheh thdn A dhe'. These hiatters are sure to Borne up for disedgsion when the whole Question of international disarmament ie guile into;.And it it foost tinherely t° be., hoped that U satisfactory answer to this sphinx-riddle hill he arrived fit. Td solve th&e ptbßlbitit ih ttig bikt interests _ o’f bacH arid All, will require the. greatest thet And goodwill ahd the highest Statesmanship But tiigiT SBliiJ tidn is So ahsdiiitely imperative—-the failure td. solve theln rhust result in suet World-Wide titiffetifig find diSaStSf —-ttht we cathbi blit hhiihve that fte hecessary tact, goodwill, aid statesmanship will he forfheeitirig. Tb ael coinpliSh the grett task wtibh yet lies before them, if they are* to secure to the worid the hiessinga df k lhStiUg peach, the Wbrld lhfiders wfid Silccheded at the Ldfidoi-, Conference in Anting A way out of. tHe Sufif and the iepabifctions difficulties that have for so long been a nightmare td Etirdpe dhd tb the world, can be trusted to leave not a single stohe linfiimed.