StR,—Mr. Douglas Jerrold sees Caesar km in the League Council. Most of its other critics see only ineffectiveness and futility and even its friends have to apologise for the meekness with which it accepts rebuffs. There can be little chance of Caesarisrn invading a democratically constituted assembly where every proposition is open to discussion and criticism from without, as well as from within, its own framework. But, says Mr. Jerrold, the League allows no alteration in the status quo. Yet there have been considerable alterations in what was the status quo at the time the League was formed.
Has Britain played the Caesar in Ireland, in Egypt, in India, in the Overseas Dominions? And when Germany defied the League and re-occupied the Rhine zone was it not League policy to accept the situation with as little demur as possible and dissuade France from any provocative counter-demonstration? League statesmen have long recognised that some revision of the Peace treaties is necessary though the difficulties are very great. But those countries which suffer most from the Peace treaties, Austria and Hungary, remain friendly to the League. Perhaps they remember how the Dual Empire sought to alter the status quo vis-a-vis Serbia in 1914.. How after four years of world anguish Austria and Hungary found themselves with empty palaces and empty treasury, and only the memory of their former glory to look back upon. Yet failing the League of Nations that would seem to be the only other way of attempting to readjust the status quo. Can we then never hope to free ourselves from the haunting nightmare of ever-recurrent wars ever increasing in intensity until our Christian civilisation is wiped out? There would seem to be three possibilities. A world dictator strong enough to enforce peace everywhere. This solution would be resisted to the uttermost by every free nation. Failing Caesar then there is the idea of a world parliament with full power to formulate and enforce inter national law. This idea seems to have deffnitely failed for the time being at any rate, There remains then that to which we seem to be moving, a combination of the peace-loving nations so strong and so closely bound together that aggressors would hesitate to attack even the weakest member of the group. It is not an ideal solution but it seems the only possible one.
F. H. WARD.
National Liberal Club, Whitehall Place, S.W.I.