1941-01-22 — Page 7

THE CHINA' MAIL, JANUARY 22, 1941.

CHINA MAIL MAIL

WINDSOR HOUSE

THE HALIFAX APPOINTMENT

Wanted: For

A

Policemen New World

By LORD DAVIES

Establishing an International Police Force.

we

The American people .have extended a cordial London, Nov. 13-Lord Chad-

To-day, we here in Britain are bourne, Britain's Dominions Sec-

France welcome to Lord Halifax retary, said to-night that the post.

holding the fort.

has capitulated.. The British Com- as British Ambassador. war world must be based on Q Founder of the New Commonwealth Society, а Movement for

monwealth alone is left to play pence system having its own pollee

the part of the International They respect his ability, force. This first more or less spe-

Policeman. We have no desire to integrity and deeply re-cific statement, by a member of effective machinery was created, authority and, when the crisis

annex territories, nor do we seek -ligious sincerity, and they should be the shape of things to attempt was made to establish antide of aggression. The dictatorative institutions, and are deter-

the British Government as to what to give effect to its previsions. No came, was impotent to stem the economic advantages. But

cherish our free and representa- do not fail to recognise come, was made by the Viscount Equity Tribunal composed of im- Mussolini and Hitler, backed the great importance in a speech to Oxford University partial persons who would be able by Japan - never lost an oppor-ism in Europe. It is only natural mined to put an end to gangster- [tunity of weakening, and utimate-

ly destroying, the League.

To-day, we are paying the price America deserted her offspring

for our folly, complacency and Unfortunately, at the outset wishful thinking.

There are two reasons why we Now we rea-

should do so. The first is that the lise that everything which we as active support the "major force hold dear, is at stake.

United States of America has al- the League and without her free and democratle communities ways been regarded as the cham-

We must of mankind"

could not operate light this war to the bitter end, effectively. Thereafter the Lea- because

there can be ho com-

conservatives.

"İ

real

up peace with Herr Hitler. Such a prace would only be an armed trice; the starting point of a new war for the destruction of our liberties and our democratic ins- titutions.

that we should confidently look in this stupendous struggle. to the United States for assistance

pion of democracy and the expo- nent of federalism. The greatest

gress of civilisation has been the development of representative gov... ernment; the outstanding achieve.

United ment of the

States has been the growth of federalism. The existence of both is now dictators in

to deal with disputes which could which Britain attaches to

"The nations in the organisa-not be settled by negotiation and the Washington post, as tion," he declared, "must agree to conciliation. It suffered the same implied by the appoint-nly. This is an essential of the some limitation of their sover-

fate as Article 18.

ment of the Foreign Min-continuation of peace." ister to fill it. Considering The Viscount explained that he

did not mean an international | the type of representation force

generally acerpted | in London with which Mr [terms,” adding: "I mean a force que degenerated, more and more,promise with evil no patched-contribution of Britain to the pro- Roosevelt was for so long subscribe to the principles which stead of developing into a

contributed by the nations who into a miere talking shop, and in- content, this is indeed a inspired the organisation to which international authority. which distinguished return. It they belong. This police force must could

if dispense justice, and have adequate machinery for re- has not, perhaps, made moval of the causes of war."

necessary guarantee its enforce- ment. It gradually lost its moral that intimate appeal to Looking back over the last 20 American opinion which] causes which have hurled Europe might have been made by once more into the cauldron JE the appointment of some spread until it has enveloped the less conservative figure, whole world. Yet when the some one less deeply iden- were few of us whe did not be- armistice was signed in 1918, there tified with the "appease-lieve that for at least a century there would nut be another ment" of the Chamber-

great war. The vast majority

lar appeal and less typical of the old tradition of British aristocratic offi- cialism. But it is not easy to point to such a figure; while Mr. Churchill's pro- blem in making the ap- pointment was a complex one. If its real importance

years, we can now discern the

war. The conflagration may even

all

Greece Fights

For Democracy

By James Ross

land-grab

down

|

threatened by the

Berlin and Rome.

Secondly, there was a time when America was regarded 05 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 the principle of arbitration for the settlement of international dis- putes. In 1910 United States Congress passed a resolution de munding the establishment of an International Navy and requested I'resident Taft to submit this pro- position to the governments of Europe. Sir Edward Grey, Bri- tain's Foreign Minister, promised British sympathetic consideration, but the Kaiser and his henchmen in Berlin rejected it,

lain era, of a wider popu-of people in every country Out of the somewhat bewilder | under German domination except

d President Wilson as their de-emerge a few concrete facts; suf- vietic were war weary; the mars2s hailing events in the Balkans there for the barrier erected by the So- of Bessarabia. liverer, and the League of Na- ficient, perhaps, to provide the The Hungarian alliance is the most tions as the commencement of a

basis for an attempt at an analysis. significant of these moves, since it new era when war, with its First, Italy's invasion of Greece has throws wide the main misery and suffering, would be brought about the fourth set-back southward through the Balkans.

highway the Germans were loud in their banished from the planet. Even

--and perhaps the most serious so To understand this, one must protestations of no more war,

far to Axis plans since the pre-examine the physical geography sent war began. No matter how of that area. From Vienna south As I write in this City of Lon- don, hombs are exploding

to Belgrade in Yugoslavia the na- round, guns are booming and the

tural path of conquest is

How different the history of the the Danubian valley, thence up

intervening period might have nightly visitation has begun.

So the struggle ends, history will pro- the Morava valley to Skopljie, been if this proposal had been We can't heln looking is to be found quite as especially to those days ime Germany's failure

back. bably record that in the long run thence south again down the Var-accepted. Instead of two major much in its effect upon

diately after

a dar valley to Salonika. East from wars in 25 years, we might have the World War, complete Cannae in the Battle of Nis runs when hopes ran high and

nature's pathway into enjoyed peace and unprecedented British policy at home as our leaders, led by President Wil-juggernaut. Next ranks the failure down into the Turkish plain, And

when France was a definite jolt to the the Maritza through Bulgaria and prosperity.

The essential problem still re- In its effect on American son, appeared to be bending their to Invade England; whether it Yugoslavia which might well mains unsolved. How are we to opinion, that was some

an was ever attempted is beside the under present circumstances make put a new order which would prevent point. Thirdly, the British Navy's a bold stand against Italy's one racketeering? It is clear that thing for Mr. Churchill the outbreak of new conflagra-attack on the French fleet at Oran real gateway into the country should Herr Hitler win this war,

tions, introduce to decide.

principles of

energies to the establishment of

to obtain

justice and law into the relation-prevented increase of German sea the Pear Tree Pass leading into the

power.

world safe for democracy.

ships of states, and make the

ever arise.

end to international

into the hands threw Greece|garia. greedy to obtain a few fight to the finish.

promptness into action the necessity the

in the harbour

to

a"

gangsters will be on top. Not the least valuable

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

Why stupid? It is easy to recognise the mis-

Because, with a German invasion via Hungary, spot, it would be very difficult to complete misconception of the Such a move would of course be dislodge them. That is why there qualities is his skill in so takes which have landed us in a

factual employment of both air facilitated by a complacent Bul-can be no compromise. It is new Armageddon. There were and sea power, he managing personal and two cardinal errors. The first that

of Britain, with crumbs from the Axis table, and Thers can be no rule of

law, party divisions within although President Wilson had

declared that "If the moral force British air bases at points halving in Europe.

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

they are in possession of their i the previous distance between However, when It is recalled gutten plunder, On the other ly united country behind physical force of the world shall,"

far hand, even when Herr Hiler and southern Italian ports and British that Soviet Russia has thus the League was constituted with- him while at the same out teeth. Article 16 of the Coven-bases, and setting them astride his matched every German eastward his Nazis are defeated, it is im- exten- possible for the British Common- time freeing his adminis-ant provided for sanctions against African line of communications at move by a "cooperative

its most sensitive point the slon" which now reaches

alone from wealth

and unaided tration for its great tasks.dor, but no attempt was Strait of Otranto and the Ionian the Baltic to the Black Sea, one police the world. That is a task

made organise what

Sea. Incidentally, he By appointing Lord Hall- described as "the major force of British

also placed might speculate upon what means which must be undertaken by the air power within easy Russia would seize to erect fur-major force of mankind. fax to Washington he has of war.

mankind" to prevent the outbreak

range of his Albanian communica-ther barriers of protection. A Ger- If at the end of the war, the tions. not only removed another The machinery

manic littoral on the Black Sea American Republic and the Bri- · necessary 10 brake and deter the

Whether or not this be viewing and Germanic domination of the tish Commonwealth are prepared "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 financial, and military sanctions sooner was Grecian terrain open bitions for an all-weather sea lane Congress to pool their navies, the as years ago, it was proposed by glasses, the fact remains that no frustration of age-old Russian am- No Inter- done so without invidious was never developed.

national Police Force was set up Force and the Fleet Air Arm went ranean.

to England than the Royal Air to the Atlantic via the Mediter-problem would be solved, under the control and direction of a implications, but has been which could act with

the former against Axis propaganda thunder rum-policing commission, appointed by, able to bring Mr. Eden and vigor, should

Italians struggling in the bles loudly further to the west, and responsible to, Congress and mountain passes

Parliaments of the back to the Foreign Office.

of the Pindus with all outward indications point the

British National States still retained range, the latter in its brilliant ing to a move into Spain, or Span- Commonwealth. It could super- This is a powerful move in control over their own forces and 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 objectivement it could ensure and if the Mussolini regime; pooled and controlled by the Lea- Taranto.

of of cutting the British Mediterran- necessary insist upon the creation can life-line and, by use of Span- of machinery for the peaceful set- gue for one purpose only — to important, assert the rule of law and pre-boy to do a mans side, as his so dominating the Atlantic sea lane it would become the foundation 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.

stone of the rule of law, and put reopen real communica- from attacking its neighbours, appears to have been, another Let us examine this threat, If an end to international rcaketeer-

Secondly, Article 19, which re-significant fact emerges. The Ru- successful, it would be a heavy

ing. tions with the Russians. commended the peaceful revision manian oil fields are now within blow to the British Empire. Two During the period of recons- 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

mained a pious aspiration, and do 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 which may go far in stiffening a mujor operation of warfare of an International Policeman, imagination which it has Though he was Mr. Cham-all, through that country lies the place, Spain, already almost

Yugoslavia's attitude. And, after against Gibraltar. In the second | And when the transition period of at sny 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 signified their confidence abroad, which "appeasement" era, the It is amazing that these consi- That Germany must make

Turkey.

port an Axis expeditionary force. desire to participate in the main- 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 undoubted eral staffs, prior to Italy's move. It will be either through Spain or its maintenance a new League, thoroughly weighed by Axis gen-ean 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, the

some 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 air forces of the British choice for the Embassy is keep relations between One can only surmise on this, of the principles of simplicity

expocted no Grecian resistance. taneous moves both ways violate | Commonwealth and the United by no means to say that the two great democracies course.

and States may reach the figure of 50,- 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 spilt quite a few beans, which Hit- the Rumanian oil supply, vital to finally vanquished,why should very good one. He has clarity and candour inler must pick up. Hence the both Italy and Germany, is men- we repeat the mistakes of 20 years one essential qualification this world crisis the most trantic efforts to spread Axis do-aced so long as British air pow- ago? Why should we then did-

mination in other parts of the er has Grecian bases, the scales perse these knights of the which another man might vital single undertaking Balkans, the inclusion of Hungary, tip in the direction of the Bal-whose services can be enlisted, not have lacked; he can speak before the English-speak-Bulgaria and Humania, The last into the realm of pure conjea-alad to establish a durable peace

probable inclusion of kans, Further prediction comes only to give us victory now, but, with unquestioned authing world.

· Iast named, of course, was already |ˇture.-

in the future."; //

even more

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air