The Pact and the Covenant All that is superficially plausible—but
no more. It is no use pretending that the League Covenant confers security today. It would if League States determined that it should, but they have shown no sign of that yet. It is not giving Abyssinia security. If the Emperor Haile Selassie had not proved capable of defending his own territory the slowly intensifying inconvenience Which League measures are causing Italy would have brought him small advantage. League States are still selling the aggressor oil to drive her aeroplanes. What kind of value could a League State attacked by Germany place on the sort of help the League is giving Abyssinia today ? In those circumstances it is idle to blame France or Russia for the steps they arc taking. They have done everything possible to put and keep them- selves in the right. France first proposed a general Eastern European Pact, including Germany. But Ger- many refused to come in. She invited Germany to join the present pact. But Germany declined. Ratifica: tion of the Pact was postponed in order that an under- standing might be reached with Germany. None has been reached, and it is not France's fault. Elaborate efforts have been made to keep the new Pact within the framework of the League and to reconcile it at every point with the provisions of the Locarno Treaty. Since the agreement is purely defensive and cannot be aggressive it can be of no possible detriment to Germany exe‘pt in the single event of her meditating aggression. And it is precisely against that contingency that it has been• framed.
