Wairarapa Daily Times [Established Over 50 Years.] THURSDAY, 20th OCTOBER, 1932. LEAGUE AND PEACE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, 20 October 1932, Page 4

Wairarapa Daily Times [Established Over 50 Years.] THURSDAY, 20th OCTOBER, 1932. LEAGUE AND PEACE.

There are certain necessary conditions precedent to the League's usefulness and to the efficacy of the Covenant. Experience should have taught by now a world really seeking peace that, if the League cannot remove the causes of war, it cannot hope to prevent wars in the future; and that if the League cannot inculcate goodwill among the nations, building upon principles of tolerance, common sense and fair play, then it can do little that is of value in seeking peace and ensuring it. Outside the League, Soviet .Russia has not only been arming heavily, but its Government has repeatedly proclaimed to the world that it is arming for a world-wide “proletarian war.” The makers of the Covenant did not calculate upon the Soviet’s mischievous inflaming of civil war in China and of Chinese violence towards European nationals in Chinese treaty ports. Nor did it calculate upon Germany’s covert assistance, through funds and the loan of military personnel, to the building up of Russian armed strength. Germany has no ease for her demand, especially as a demand, that the victorious European Powers shall reduce their armaments, when she has for years been assisting those Russian armaments which have compelled Russia’s European neighbours to live in a state 'of constant preparation for war. Whatever may be said against French policy during the .14 years since the Armistice, it must be admitted that French intelligence is not at fault in insisting that anxiety for security must dictate national policy towards League proposals. Without goodwill there is no security for anybody under the Covenant. .V special committee of the League long ago pointed out to its members that a grave hazard to world peace is the erection of national tariff barriers against international trade, and that, if these barriers are maintained, the world will be heading towards war again sooner or later. What regard has the world so far paid to the warning ?