THE CHINA MAIL, JANUARY 22, 1941.
CHINA MAIL Wanted:
-WINDSOR HOUSE
THE HALIFAX APPOINTMENT
It
For A
conservatives.
mean
who
years, we can now discern the
war.
of
there would not be another great war. The vast majority
War,
when
energies to the establishment of a new order which would prevent the outbreak of new conflagra- tions, introduce principles
of
· Page 7
Policemen
New World
By LORD DAVIES
Founder of the New Commonwealth Society, a Movement for
Establishing an International Police Force.
real
backed
Greece Fights
our
For Democracy
By James Ross
Germany's failure to obtain
up
13
Secondly, there was a time when America was regarded the foremost protagonist of law and order in the world. Thirty years ago, in the days of Theo- dore Roosevelt, William Taft, Elihu Root and other stalwarts, the American people supported for the principle of arbitration the settlement of international dis-
of
The American people have extended a cordial
London, Nov. 13-Lord Chad-
To-day, we here in Britain are bourne, Britain's Dominions Sec- welcome to Lord Halifax retary, said to-night that the post.
holding the fort. France has capitulated. The British Com- as British Ambassador war world must be based on a
monwealth alone is left to play They respect his ability, force. This first more or less spe- prace system having its own police
the part of the International Policeman. We have no desire to integrity and deeply re-cific statement, by a member of effective machinery was created, authority and, when the
the British Government as to what to give effect to its provisions. No
crisis annex territories, nor do we seek But we ligious sincerity, and they should be the shape of things to attempt was made to establish an tide of Vig impotento dictators cherish our free and representa-
came, was stem the economic advantages. do not fail to recognise come, was made by the Viscount Equity Tribunal composed of im- Mussolini and Hitler,
tive institutions, and are deter- the great importance in a speech to Oxford University partial persons who would be able by Japan - never lost an opporism in Europe. It is only natural mined to put an end to gangster- which Britain attaches to
to deal with disputes which could tunity of weakening, and utimate- "The nations in the organisa.not be settled by negotiation and ly destroying, the League.
that we should confidently look the Washington post, astion," he declared, "must agree to conciliation. It suffered the same
To-day, we are paying the price to the United States for assistance implied by the appoint-eignty. This is an essential of the some limitation of their sover-
fate as Article 10.
for our
folly, complacency and in this stupendous struggle, Unfortunately, at the outset wishful thinking. Now we rea-
There are two reasons why we ment of the Foreign Min continuation of peace."
America deserted her offspring
should do so. The first is that the lise that everything which we as ister to fill it. Considering did not
The Viscount explained that he the League and without her free and democratic communities United States of America has al-
active support the "major force hold dear, is at stake.
ways been regarded as the cham- We must an international | the type of representation force
of mankind" "in generally accepted
could not operate fight this war to the bitter end, pion of democracy and the expo effectively. Thereafter the Lea- because in London with which Mr. terms," adding: "I mean a force
nent of federalisın. The greatest there can be no com- contribution of Britain to the pro- contributed by the nations
gue degenerated, more and more, promise with evil no patched- Roosevelt was for so long subscribe to the principles which to a mere talking shop, and in-
gress of civilisation has been the up peace with Herr Hitler, Such content, this is indeed a inspired the organisation to which
stead of developing into a
[development of representative gov. a peace would only be an armed international authority. distinguished return.
they belong. This police force must could dispense justice, and *f
which truce; the starting point of a new ernment; the outstanding achieve-
war for the destruction of
ment of the United States has have adequate machinery for re- necessary guarantee its enforce liberties and our democratic ins-
federalism. has not, perhaps, mademoval of the causes of war."
been the growth of ment, it gradually lost its moraltitutions.
The existence of both is now that intimate appeal to Looking back over the last 20
threatened by the dictators in American opinion which causes which have hurled Europe
Berlin and Rome. might have been made by once more into the cauldron the appointment of some spread until it has enveloped the The conflagration may even less conservative figure, whole world. Yet when the some one less deeply iden- were few of us who did not be- armistice was signed in 1918, there tified with the "appease-lieve that for at least a century ment" of the Chamber- lain era, of a wider
of popu-
people in every country Out of the somewhat bewilder- | under German domination except putes. In 1910 United States lar appeal and less typical ed President Wilson as their de-emerge a few concrete facts; suf-vietic land-grab
were war weary; the masses hailing events in the Balkans there for the barrier erected by the 'So- Congress passed a resolution de-. of the old tradition of liverer, and the
of Bessarabia.manding the establishment of an League of Na- ficient, perhups, to provide the The Hungarian alliance is the most International Navy and requested British aristocratic offi-
tions as the commencement of a basis for an attempt at an analysis. significant of these moves, since it, President Taft to submit this pro- new eru when war, with cialism. But it is not easy misery and suffering, would be brought about the fourth set-back southward through the Balkans. Europe. Sir Edward Grey, Bri-
Its First, Italy's invasion of Greece has throws wide the main highway position to the governments to point to such a figure; banished from the planet. Even and perhaps the most serious so the Germans were loud in their
To understand this, one must tain's Foreign Minister, promised while Mr. Churchill's pro- protestations of no more war.
far to Axis plans since the pre-examine the physical geography British sympathetic consideration, sent war began. No matter how of that area. blem in making
From Vienna south but the Kaiser and his henchmen' the ap don,
As I write in this City of Lon- hombs are exploding ail
to Belgrade in Yugoslavia the na-in Berlin rejected it. pointment was a complex round, guns are booming and the
tural path of conquest is down How different the history of the the Danubian valley, thence
intervening pertod might have one. If its real importance nightly visitation has begun. So the struggle ends, history will pro- the Morava
We Can't help looking
valley to Skopljie, been if this proposal had been is to be found quite as especially to those dang back, bably record that in the long run thence south again down the Var- accepted. Instead of two major much in its effect upon when hopes ran high and diately after the World
a dar valley to Salonika. East from wars in 25 years, we might have complete Cunnae in the Battle of Nis runs nature's pathway into enjoyed peace and unprecedented British policy at home as our leaders, led by President France was a definite jolt to the the Maritza through Bulgaria and prosperity. in its effect on American son, appeared to be bending their juggernaut. Next ranks the failure down into the Turkish plain. And The essential problem still re-
to invade England; whether it a Yugoslavia which might well mains unsolved. opinion, that was some
How are we to point. Thirdly, the British Navy's a bold stand was ever attempted is beside the under present circumstances make put an end to international thing for Mr. Churchill
against Italy's one racketeering? It is clear that to decide.
attack on the French fleet at Oran real gateway into the country-should Herr Hitler win this war, justice and law into the relation-prevented increase of German sea the Pear Tree Pass leading into the gangsters will be on top.
power. Not the least valuable ships of states, and
Now comes Mussolini's the Sava valley-could not with-Having, in rapid succession, put stupid blunder.
stand for long the body-blow of every country in Europe on the of the Prime Minister's It is easy to recognise the mis-
Why stupid? Because, with a German invasion via Hungary. spct, it would be very difficult to qualities is his skill in so takes which have landed us in a complete misconception of the Such a move would of course be dislodge them. That is why there
new Armageddon.
factual employment of both air facilitated by a complacent Bul-can be no compromise. It is a managing personal and two cardinal errors.
were and sea power, he threw Greece garia, greedy to The first that
obtain .a few fight to the finish. into the hands within although President Wilson party divisions
of Britain, with crumbs from the Axls table, and had
There can be no rule of law, declared that "if the moral force the net result establishment of would be a grave threat to Turkey no justice, no freedom, so long as Britain as to keep a whol- of the world will not suffice, the British air bases at points halving in Europe.
they are in possession of their Ill- ly united country behind physical force of the world shall, him while at
farhand, even when Herr Hitler, and the League was constituted with- the same out teeth. Article 16 of the Coven-bases, and setting them astride his matched every German eastward his Nazis are defeatett, it is im- time freeing his adminis-ant provided for sanctions against African line of communications at move by a "cooperative exten-possible for the British Common-
its most sensitive
from wealth aldhe and point-the sion" which now reaches tration for its great tasks. made to organise
the aggressor, but no attempt was Strait of Otranto and the Ionian the Baltic to the Black Sea, one police the world. That is a task.
what Wilson By appointing Lord Hali- described as "the major force of British air power
Sea. Incidentally, he also placett{\might speculate upon what means which must be undertaken by the fax to Washington he has of war.
mankind" to prevent the outbreak range of his Albanian communicather barriers of protection. A Ger-
within easy Russia would seize to erect fur- major force of mankind..
It at the end of the war, the. not only removed another The machinery
tions.
manic littoral on the Black Sea American Republic and the Bri- necessary. to brake and deter
Whether or not this be viewing and Germanic domination of the tish Commonwealth are prepared the "Guilty Man" from his apply the
aggressor by imposing economic, the Balkan scene with rose-tinted Dardanelles would spell one more to combine their air forces, just own government, and Anancial, and military sanctions glasses, the fact remains that no frustration of age-old Russian am- as years ago, it was proposed by sooner was Grecian terrain open bitions for an all-weather sea lane Congress to pool their navies, the done so without invidious was never developed. No Inter- national Police Force was set up
to England than the Royal Air to the Atlantic wia the Mediter-problem would be solved, under implications, but has been which could act with promptness into action
Force and the Fleet Air Arm went ranean.
the control, and direction of a able to bring
the former against the necessity the Italians struggling in Mr. Eden and vigor, should
Axis propaganda thunder rum-poliring commission, appointed by, the bles loudly further to the west, and responsible to, Congress and back to the Foreign Office.
mountain passes of the
British Pindus with all outward indications point the Parliaments of the still retained This is a powerful move in control over their own forces and range, the latter in its brilliant ing to a move into Spain, or Span- Commonwealth. It could super- coup of torpedoing from the air ish cooperation in direct attack vise a scheme of general disarma- the moral offensive upon the Covenant intended should be Italian fleet
armaments which the framers of a considerable proportion of the upon Gibraltar, with the objective mentit could ensure and if the Mussolini
in the harbour regime; pooled and controlled by the Lea- Taranto.
of of cutting the British Mediterran- necessary insist upon the creation ean life-line and, by use of Span- of machinery for the peaceful set- even more important, gue for one purpose only -to Out of Mussolini's sending of a ish western ports, and air bases, tlement of all disputes. In short, perhaps, it will tend to vent any country, large or small, far abortive invasion of Greece by submarine and by air.
assert the rule of law and pre-boy to do a man's job, as his so dominating the Atlantic sea lanes it would become the foundation stone of the rule of law, and put reopen real communica- from attacking its neighbours,
appears to have been, another tions with the Russians. commended the peaceful revisionmanian oil fields are now within blow to the British Empire. Two
Let us examine this threat. If an end to international reaketeer- Secondly, Article 30, which re-significant fact emerges. The Ru-successful, it would be a heavy ing. It has brought to of treaties from time to time, re-range of British bombing planes things mitigate against success, truction, and until the New Order During the period of recons- mained a pious aspiration, and no based in Greece. the Foreign Office some-
Added to this however. In the first place, Spain had been fully established, it is the loss of "face" by Italy, is to-day is no condition to wage would be entrusted with the duties thing of the boldness and ority in Whitehall Yugoslavia attitude. And, after against Gibraltar. In the second And when the transition period of which may go far in stiffening a major operation of warfare of an International Policeman, imagination which it has Though he was Mr. Chamall, through that country lies the place, Spain, already almost at say 10 or 20 years came to an end, lacked and won for it a berlain's apologist in the royal road to invade Greece and starvation's door, could not sup- other nations who signined their confidence abroad, which "appeasement" era, the Turkey.
port an Axis expeditionary force. desire to participate in the main- It is amazing that these consi-That Germany must make some tenance of law and order could be under Lord Halifax it completeness of his con derations should not have been move to retrieve the Mediterran- enrolled as members of the Inter- could never quite com- version is as undoubtederal staffs, prior to Italy's move. It will be either through: Spain or its maintenance a new League, thoroughly weighed by Axis genean situation is indicated. That national Force and contribute to mand.
as was that of Lord Loth Perhaps they were. There is through the Balkans is further in- but a League with power and And to say that Lord ian. His ability and auth-Greek and Yugoslavian sources, alimented by an ever-lengthening Before this war is over,
indication, though fromdicated. Either operation must be authority. Halifax was not the ideal ority should serve well to which may be biased, that Italy line of communications. Simul- combined alt forces of the British choice for the Embassy is keep relations between expected no Grecian resistance, taneous moves both ways violate Commonwealth and the United and States may reach the figure of 50,- by no means to say that the two great democracies one can only surmise on this, of the principles of simplicity
of economy of force. When to 000 planes, or even more. And he will not prove to be a upon a secure plane of In any event, Mussolini has these points be added the fact that when the dictators have been very good one. He has clarity and candour — in ler must pick up. Hence the both Italy and Germany, is men-we repeat the mistakes of 20 years split quite a few beans, which Hit the Rumanian oil supply, vital to finally vanquished, why should one essential qualification this world crisis the most frantic efforts to spread Axis do-aced so long as British air pow-ugo? Why should we then dis
mination In other parts of the er has Grecian bases, the scales persa these knights of the air which another man might vital single undertaking Balkans, the inclusion of Hungary Up in the direction of the Bal- whose services can be enlisted, not have lacked; he can speak before the English-speak Bulgaria and Rumania: The last into the realm of pure conjec-also to evinblish a durable peace and the probable, Inclusion of kans, Further prediction comes only to give us victory now, but with unquestioned auth ing world.
last named, of course, was already! ture.
, in the fukirs.
make the
world safe for democracy.
ever arise.
National States.
There
N
the
southern Italian ports and British that Soviet Russia has thus
previous distance between However, when it is recalled gutten plunder. On the other
course.
JobM 491, 4
4
unaided to
the