CAN THE LEAGUE BE IMPARTIAL ?
[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] Sm,—Sir Norman Angell says that " the place of force in organised society is to enable reason, discussion, third party judgement, to take the place of force." That is all very well ; but how, in international politics, are we to get third party judgement " ?
It is simply impossible to imagine any major conflict of interests arising in Europe in which every Power—and Certainly every great Power—is not vitally interested. In such a case a " third party judgement " is obviously impossible. This, of course, is the weak point of " The League " (or, rather, of the " collective security " idea). You may get all the Powers together and call them a " league " if you like ; but as soon as a dispute arises in which they are all vitally interested—and in which their interests are divergent—you can no more get an impartial judgement from them inside the league than you Could have done if they had all remained outside.—Yours, A. R. CRIPPS. 11 Ambrose Place, Worthing.
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