LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16323, 12 January 1921, Page 2

LEAGUE OF NATIONS.

LORD CREY’S SPEECH. Viscount Grey of Falloden, speaking at a big League of Nations Union demonstration at Liverpool, said a small minority of .people, though patriots, were opposed to the League, and thought that Britain would do better to develop *ts own strength, make itself the strongest country in the world, and be under no obligation to any other nation. That was mistaken patriotism ; it was Prussian ism, and one result of the war bad been to make it more certain that any. nation which in the future adopted Prussian ism. would meet the same fate as did Prussia. The primary object of the League was to prevent war, which, if it occurred in future, would be more terrible and destructive tbon the great war of the immediate past. War had its chemical side and until war was impossible men of science would always be engaged in inventing contrivances for use in. war. and the”time would come when a war would mean the destruction of all civilisation. Now we »iad acquired such power over the forces of Nature that, unless the nations of the world developed at the same time the power of selfrestraint, the very powers they had acquired would by destroying them. He believed that since 1 the last war the public oninion of the nations engaged was essentially desirous of preventing further wars, but, unless They had the machinery they would be powerless. Tf public opinion was on its side the League would be effective; and if Governments, when the time came, refused to make use of the League, it would be the business of public opinion to dismiss those Governments and put others in then- place. But public opinion must be readv, and a. propaganda was needed outside party politics. HAD TIT Kill.; BEEN A LEAGUE. He would have given anything in the weeks before the war in 1914 to have had some such. organisation as'ythe League, so that pressure might have been brought to bear to insist upon Germany taking part in a conference. Had the League been in existence a. ge 11 ( rat icn before 19i 4 1 here won Id never have been such a situation at all. Armaments led to war; they created a war .pftrtv. and public opinion on the side of the League would in itself discourage the building up of armaments, because it would be no use for any nation to attempt to build up the biggest armament of the world if that nation knew that when *t was ready to go to war the whole world would lx? against it. What every nation was doing with regard to expenditure on armaments should be known to all. and when a nation begun to fore?, the pace the pressure nf others’ should he brought to bear. The Council of'the League would •*.' < mething to build up staple opinion, ;uv‘ make the world feel that nut on! - , i i one country, but in all «n; ■ h.\- there was a feeling in favour of ih. p eventing of war, and of re•_;ii " » nu> dower which forced war as i tec wrong. In one single sen r:i . -.be most transparent and true * i i.f v.hv Germany lost the war w- • G : .! any was in the wrong. ( h.- ; on .he policy pursued by the Allies i .yards Bolshevism was wi i ’ig. Ih: hotild have left it absolutely alone, have had no blockade, no interference, and given no support to any. party in Russia—support which lm ! hud the effect of strengthening Bolshevism for the time being. The .sooner enemy States, were admitted to tin- League *.f Nations the better. If the League did not receive the support of all The Great Powers a counterleague would be formed, and they would go back to the old system of alliances Germany would l>e far less dangerous inside the League than outside. and, while lie appreciated the French point- of view, if Germany recognised the great principle of the League of settling disputes by some. her treaties, the doors of the League should be ope*: to her. Iho League should encourage publicity ; all treaties should be submitted to it, and published. At no time in peace should there be any secret treaties.; and he had clean hands in that matter, as, though he had made secret treaties himself, that was in time of war.