Someone has cynically remarked that cussion of war aims and post-war tion is used by doing winning the war. the problems which the world when the is sidered. The peace which followed of 1914-18 was based nmi insufficient realiza it 1 8 deal of preparation for the time Should again be the happy lot, but the twenty years which are now theory, was in practice unable to cope wi! the besetting problems, The League mac inery infareed before 1930 by multilateral pacts, such as the Kellogg-Briand Pact, Locarno and these agreements laid too much emphasis upon the political side of international disputes and not enough upon the economic, with a result that they provided only a half shield against the slimgs and arrows of an outrageous fortune—end the smaller half of ihe shield at that. The rock upon, which well-intentioned schemes for the preservation of peace and security usually split was the economic interpretation of their implications. In M. Briand's plan for a Euroj the French diagnosis and laid the emphasis upon economic problems, Solve these problems first, they said in effect, and the political questions will automatically solve themselves. For a variety of reasons this was not done. The only European government to appreciate the fact that federation or anything approaching federation implied some concession of sovereign rights, and to express willingness to.consider the concession Of these rights was the Dutch Government. And its lonely voice was heard for a moment only, before the Babel of other tongues made impossible intelligent. argument on the nature of the sacrifices needed, The inter-Allied conference which is to be held in London shortly to discuss the rehabilitation of the world after this war is a proof that the world will not seek to build anew upon a shifting foundation. There should be no reproach by future generations that the peace-makers had underestimated the difficulties with which they were confronted. For in comparison with the difficnities which faced Mr. Woodrow Wilson, Mr. Lloyd George, M. Clemenceau and the others at the end of the last war, the difficulties Which will have to be overcome after this one are as X is to infinity. This fact is understood. And these preliminary conferences of the Allies are designed to make them more clearly comprehended, to sweep away muddling and political myopia and to plot out through the tangle of *he future a path Which mankind must hew, if he is ever to reach the Delectable Mountains beyond. The metaphor is taken advisedly. All present conferences can only point the way to security and peace. There is nothing ie in a round table meeting by which securi and peace will come at the wave of a wand. Confidence in national c must be restored; public expenditure must be controlled: "trade must be set moving again, with the least possible intel ie from tariffs, quotas, Or monetary pulation. The problems are legion. Some of the phases of return. to peace may be summarized. First there will be the humanitarian formity. effort, nick could only be ini In th of this ce-ordinated
into the war, J
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.