The Timaru Herald FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 1938 HAS DEMOCRACY BECOME IMPOTENT?

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20929, 7 January 1938, Page 6

The Timaru Herald FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 1938 HAS DEMOCRACY BECOME IMPOTENT?

When defiant students in Tokio refused to attend classes in English because they demanded to know “what is the use of studying a dead language?” they expressed the profound contempt widely cherished by all totalitarian states for the democracies of the Western world. The explanation is obvious. For years the war maker and the treaty breaker have been able to ignore the claims of justice, morality and decency in international relations, even though these ideals are backed by a majority of the Powers. In November last, nineteen powers assembled at Brussels in an endeavour to bring peace to the Far East, under the terms of the Nine Power Treaty. The conference, by the way, was fortified by the decision of the League of Nations which had unanimously termed Japan a treaty-breaker. But the conference failed largely because the idea was permitted to develop that any strong action to curb Japan involved the risk of war. The conference, as a matter of fact, assumed two major divisions, arguing “yes” and “no” to the question: “Are you prepared to fight?” It is a matter for profound regret that this was the attitude in which Great Britain and the United States approached one of the most momenous conferences within recent years. Indecision and hesitation marked the very beginning of the Brussels Conference. Mr Anthony Eden had just told the House of Commons that “Britain would go as far as the United States, in full agreement with it—not rushing ahead and not being left behind,” while President Roosevelt told the world: “We are determined to keep out of war.” That was all the warring powers sought to know! From the outset the Brussels Conference was doomed to failure principally because the British and American reservations were far more definite than any action they might be prepared to take. In totalitarian states the Brussels Conference, that was designed to remind the signatories of the Nine Power treaty (including Japan) of their definite obligations to the Orient in general and China in particular, was sorely hampered. The failure of the Brussels Conference must be regarded as a shattering blow to the prestige of democratic powers. The explanation of the increasing arrogance of the warlike treaty-breaking powers can be found in the infirmity of purpose displayed by the powers assembled in Brussels last November. Under all treaties designed to safeguard the peace of the world the democracies place their faitli in consultation as a means of exerting pressure on the aggressor. It is true that they have not been very successful. In each case defenders of international law and order failed because they declined to put their faith to the test. With such lack of purpose and direction on the part of the long succession of conferences associated with the efforts of democratic powers to support the rule of law against the gospel of force, it is scarcely surprising that Germany, Italy and Japan, pursue their aggressive plans regardless of the mild protests of lawabiding countries. It is perhaps comforting to call up some historical instance of the success of diplomatic pressure used against countries that descended to the practices of the highwayman; indeed, prewar statesmanship offers nothing comparable to the situation of an overwhelmingly potent bloc of powers being rendered impotent to attempt to bring any kind of diplomatic pressure to bear in restraint of a single ambitious power. On the other hand, the pages of the history of international relations bear the records of numerous instances of the application of restraint without recourse to war. Manifestly what is needed is a revival of awareness on the part of the democracies of the world of the immense influence that their combined power enables them to exert in world affairs.