BY VISCOUNT GREY. LONDON, Juno 20. Viscount Grey's pamphlet explains seme of the osesentials of a League, or Nations. Ho says that tho first condition that must be adopted is earnestness and conviction by tho executives' heads. He states tlutt this condition is prosent as regards the United states and is, or will ho, as regards all the Allies, While among the enemies Austria hail publicly shown n disposition to accept tho proposal, and would probably welcome it genuinely, thoimh secretly, as a safeguard, not only against her old enemies but against Prussian domination. Small States both belligerent and neutral, must, he thinks, naturally join tho league as a safeguard against aggression. As regards Germany, she will have to bo convinced that force does not pay, nnd that the policy of her military leaders will inflict upon her intolerable sufferings. Until she feels that this, the League of Nations, in the sense intended by President Wilson, is impossible, as such a league must include Germany. The second condition is that the Governments and peoples willing to found the league must understand elenrlv thnt it will impose limitations of national action upon each. It may entail inconvenient obligations. ' Tho stronger nations must forgo their right to make their interests prevail against the weaker. If any nation refuses to observe this limitation and rejects peaceful methods and resorts to force, the other nations must use their combined economic, or military nnd naval forces against it. Viscount Grey emphasises the point that the science and inventions in war are getting more terrible and destruc- , tive, nnd asks what it will he twenty years hence, if the researches of science are devoted to discoveries for destroying human life. Even the Germans, he says, are not hlind to this, hut their rulers propose to avoid future wars by establishing n domination for ever. Rut peace will never he thus secured. The idea is impracticable, unfair nnd horrentViscount Grev expresses the opinion that the establishment of a League of Nations is more important for securing praee than any actual terms that may conclude the present war. For. he says, the best terms are of little value unless the future relations of States are based on something to the recurrence of Militarism. The United States and the Allies cannot save the world from militarism unless Germany learns her lesson thoroughly and completely, and they will not save the world, or even themselves, by complete victory over Germany until they too have learned and can apply the lesson that militarism has become the deadly enemy of mankind. LONDON, June 20. Viscount Grey's League of Nations pamphlet is one of the topics of the hour. Newspapers attach importance to it. and the comment generally is favourable.
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Star (Christchurch), Issue 12351, 22 June 1918, Page 9
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457Untitled Star (Christchurch), Issue 12351, 22 June 1918, Page 9
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