GERMANY AND THE LEAGUE.

Waikato Times, Volume 100, Issue 16749, 16 March 1926, Page 6

GERMANY AND THE LEAGUE.

(To flic Editor.) Sir, —Your cables show the extraordinary interest that is being taken iu tiie application of Germany for membership of Hie League of Nations and a seal on the Council. The altitude which New Zealand should lake up is a question that should be considered by Hie public, for it is one on which no government can go much further than the people arc ready to follow. It is moreover one that must be faced at once for the Council meets to decide the question on March G.

The League of Nations lias no forces of any kind, neittier men nor money. It depends entirely on public support, sympathy and good will. It is therefore. essential that in every crisis the public should be kept informed of the situation. One view of I he League, and one held widely in America, is that Hic League, though intended lo lie a union of all nations, was distorted by the builders of the Peace Treaty into an alliance of the victor nations against the defeated ones. There certainly is some colour for that suspicion. I shall not attempt to show' that (lie attitude of France at the Peace Conference supports that view and that her subs-’ incut action in the Ruhr reinforces il- You could not find room for il and your readers would skip it. It is much easier lo show tint France has, since Hie Armistice, been planning, working and pleading for security. That seems so very necessary and so perfectly reasonable as to have an irresistible claim, hut on consideration we find Hint the sceurilv she asks for is support against Germany and Hint I lie result would h". lo build up a great alliance lo keep Germany permanently in subjection. Thai seme tendency is shown in the many allempts the League lias made to obtain an agreement on disarmament. While Germany stood outside the League any guarantee between ils members in assist rmc anollnr in case of nllack obviously meant that Ihose inside the League would lie safe, Hie one out - Mde, Germany, would lie defenceless. Tlie Locarno Fact changed all this by bringing Germany inside the family of nations. Her safely is now guaranlced by all just as much as that of France. That is Hie vital difference between the Locarno Part and its predecessors, it unis' l>e remembered dial Germany before signing has sounded the members of file Council and had been given to understand that she would be received as a member of Hie League arid given a seat on Hie Conn dl. Al that, time there was no mention . of any oilier power being given a sent, on the Council, mncli less of several, tiermany now feels that she tins been deceived. As a member of Hie present Coiiiicil she will ticvc. a position of great power. Her ennsent would be uoeessary in any crisis. 'That is th•• position she understood she was In pel. Now she finds that France is attempting 10, increase Hie number on the Council in order to bring in several new members, all of which are stales likely to support heiself. 'That would "ive I’ran' e the leadership of the Council ami leave mil only Germany, but ourselves also, in an inferior posilin. That is what Germany resents, and on Hie face of it she lias a good case. The Locarno Pact was welcom-

cd as "Uie end of the war," "the beginning of Peace,’ ’etc., and there was much rejoicing over “Ihe Locarno spirit." The present attempt to keep Germany, though on the Council, In a position of permanent inferiority scorns to me a direct contradiction of the Locarno spirit and likely to weaken or even destroy the Locarno Pact. The Pact itself will not ensure peace. It is full of loopholes through which war mighL slip in. The spirit of conciliation, of equal justice to all, of decent treatment to the conquered is the really important result of tiie Locarno Conference. If that is now jockeyed to the back-ground the Pact will not prevent war, and it will increase cur chance of being dragged in.—l am, etc., THOS. TODD, :