The statement made by Mr. Neville [Chamberlain in the House of Commons on the subject of the possibility Jot Great Britain surrendering any of her colonies or mandated territories should be a definite enough answer to those who think that such a step Jcould be taken with general benefit to world peace. There is a large section of the British public, though fortunately not in a majority, which thinks that it might be a good thing to do in order to satisfy the aspire {tions of other nations and so avert the possibility of war. The mandates When they were originally granted were meant {o be of a permanent ature until the territories so con-
{trolled developed sufficiently to take their places as independent nations Jamongst the others of the world. To hand such colonies back to their prewar owners would have the effect of pletely nullifying the intention which underlaid the scheme. With regard to the British colonies it is a tittle dimeult to understand why Britain should be expected to take a step which other colonizing powers would most certainly not. Even if it Jwere done, there is a grave danger {that much' of the good work which has been done for the native races Jconcerned would be set at naught by the change in ideas which would Inecessarily follow the change in Jownership, and devotion to principle Jdemands that the interests of the is no one's fault in particular, for the [League was an experiment based on Jo desire for belter things rather than the result of an accumulation of past Jexperiences, an expression of the Jdesire for peace rather than of ac-Jcurate knowledge as to how that was to be brought about. One of the. chief obstacles which it had to en-
Jeounter was the rapid growth of an Jexaggerated nationalism which has Jsought to subordinate the general Jgood to Individual advancement. That this has been to a very large Jextend due to economic factors is all too true, but where countries are try Ing to preserve to themselves that Jwhich they already had and to thwart the economic advance of others, Jwhere overgrowing larifis have brought about a very great deal of Jexasperation, and where the desire for territorial aggrandisement exists In the hearts of those nations Jdespolled by the fortunes of war, it Inevitable that the ideals which [dictated the form of the Covenant of the League should be forgotten in favour of the policy of expediency.
is now apparent that the closing of the gaps in the League structure to which M. Herriot refers will more likely take the form of drastic reconstruction. That will undoubtedly be Inecessary if the nations which have relinquished membership are to be [brought back to the fold. though it will always have to be remembered that without means of enforcing the will of the League against the sov-Jereignty of a recalcitrant member, the League must always remain week juntit worldwide public opinion obtains that ascendency of control In int national affairs which some schools Jof thought believe it will ultimately
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.