1937-02-05 — Page 11

THE CHINA MAIL, FEBRUARY 5, 1937.

Page: 11

Ghosts That Walk Geneva's Halls

nationalism, arma-

Founders

Law Of The Jungle

SOME things besides League Haunted By ments, taxes, world dis- Who Dreamed Of Lasting Peace Anthony Eden is already in the

itself.

hands, and is not dependent upon

thick of the fight, bearing the brunt.

order and the danger of

est empire of to-day, a President the throng of waiting diplomats of the battle for the League, his poverty and of war have este assembly from one of the and newsmen who used to joke at actions speaking for him. He, too, been growing steadily smallest republics of the New the foot of the stairs in the old like Hitler and Mussolini, bas through these seven World, El Salvador. A little ham- shabbily carpeted corridor, dis known the trenches, but they left mer tinkles on the stone, the ritual cussed in a cold marble lobby the him no taste for violence whether lean years. One of them words are said, the delegates dis- outlook for war, colonial revision, in party action at home or national is the thing that some perse. Hopes as bright as the day war, European revision, war, cove action abroad. They left him the nant revision, war. Can the two pil- abiding conviction of Wilson, say, brought hard times In the United States men talk of lars of the League and peace Bri- Briand, Henderson, that the rule of because it was already the New Era and leaders say, "The tain and France be kept from fall law must displace the rule of the growing much faster destiny of America is in our own ing apart? Will either carry out its jungle, and soon, if either the fat threats to withdraw, too, from the or the famished are to survive. He than our political other nations.” In Geneva, Briand, League? Has the League entered has already had to tack and com

palace only to crash promise and strategically retreat at thought. It is the ma- Henderson, Stresemann, the centre its new

of attention. People are talking the more completely? War and times, as did his predecessors, but chine, the machine that of the idea of European Federation, needs the whole world the cornerstone of which

is to say laughingly a few days for its making and for later that he laid it at his luncheon war and war. The palace is still catastrophes since then-a dream its fullest use and that party "entre la poire et le fromage" going up and more slowly than be- which in the end bows the most ar- tends to make the world between the pear and the cheese fore; the world political spiral is rogant to the hypocrisy of lip ser-

I have often wondered, as I have still going down and with accumu- vice. one whole.

looked at the new palace of the

It is the dream of the great re- volution, the revolution to over- throw violence. itself, to end the

Briand By C. K. Streit

of the League. if any man would have had lating speed.

on that day the courage to start out among

for disarmament?

there is no doubt that, Anthony Eden is driving always to

ward the objective that was theirs.

Their dream has survived all the

*.

*

This is especially true machines for sending

Only the ghosts of Wilson and

Henderson remain. long nightmare of change only by all mankind all that men make and this vast structure had he known Briand and think, and men themselves. All the that only a month later the New Their generation which reached death and allow change without before 1914, is going death, change through law-life records for the speed in transmit Era would crash in Wall Street and maturity ting anything anywhere whether that the world's worst depression down, more rapidly each year. The without death. There cannot be a would begin. But how could men generation that reached manhood by ship, rail, road, air, telephone know that Stresemann would die in in war is slowly taking over power. greater dream.. that were going down year after

New men have been rising with

* year through good times have been a few weeks, that Briand în a`

This dream will survive. The continuing to go down year after United States of Europe with him

couple of years would carry his this new palace.

Cecil has lived to rally the Bri- only questions are whether the Lea- year through hard times. That is to the grave, that Henderson would tish through his peace ballot to the gue will survive and whether we one thing that has grown through perish in a vain and valiant fight League, to see the new palace oc shall the depression.

cupied, to work in it himself with Men have already established the committee on the composition law over areas greater than the Another thing that has been de- Nor could... one. foretell that veloping through this period is the Japan would seize Manchuria with of the Council, to see the succession Cynic's world. Men can establish most concrete symbol we yet have impunity, that Hitler would become well assured. For in Britain, at law around this planet. They will can be no doubt on establish it one day, The only ques- of that world political mechanism all-powerful in Germany and take least, there which our world-needing, world-us- her out of Geneva and into feverish whom the mantle falls, nor that it tion is whether our generation will ing and world-making machines arming, that the pound and dollar falls on an able, sincere and coura- do it, whether we shall push it on seem to demand. It is the palace would lose nearly half their gold of the League of Nations.

value, that quotas and other trade barriers would reduce world trade

tariffs Whatever one may

think about two-thirds and make mere. the political mechanism which the seem low, that unemployment would palace symbolises, whether or not go into a score of millions and bud- one considers that the League has get deficits pile scores of billions been developing, too, or that its of debt on the rising generation.

Men did not realise that Ameri- principles are sound or its system

*

*

is at all capable of filling the needs can aloofness from all world or- of world government, there can be ganisation would sink from the no question that the palace at least point where consultation in time of has been growing great. The cor- nerstone was laid on Sept. 7, 1929. up,

war Was

under consideration to where Washington merely wrung its hands as Mussolini

While its walls were gons up the Kellogg pact and theore

Japan and Germany were going out

ally decided to be neutral between and the hopes of military and eco-

aggressor and victim, lawbreaker nomic and monetary disarmament and League; that the League As- among the nations were going sembly which in October had con- down; it became fashionable indemned Italy as an aggressor and Geneva to make the easy quips and applied sanctions would be meeting sneers at those gaunt walls and nine months later to consider what empty rooms.

to do about the failure of its mea- Sept. 7, 1929- A lovely day, sures. Geneva with her magnificent lake

The League palace was begun by and mountain ornaments at their hopeful men, and it was continued best. Dignitaries from nearly all by men always hoping the storm the world gathered stiffly round a would soon end, until now-while great white cube of stone in an open the storm continues the building park. Nearly all the world, for stands & monument to what persis- there was no official representative tent hope can do. of the country of Woodrow Wilson.

7

And France

But, high up in the stands, a little Britain aloof from every one, the slouch ing, brooding figure of Lord Robert- Cecil, who, next to Wilson, did most

The first important international perhaps to bring the covenant into meeting held in the new palace was being and make this event possible.

No-One

Could Know

that of four Locarno powers-Bri- tain, France, Belgium, Italy—to dis- cuss violation of the treaties by the fifth, Germany. The second meeting which followed swiftly was that of

to

Speeches memorable only for the Britain, France and other members

fact they are made by men

by chance from nations well fit

symbolise the League dre

world organisation- the Council frota

ary-General

rawn of the Committee of Thirtee

to discuss the triumphant

ward a League membe one of the Locarno she

While

they

closed

geous leader.

or push it back inte dark ages.

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