SIX . YEARS AND AFTER
t‘ Fear broods over Europe, the fear of war breaking out again, not to-day, not to-morrow, not, as I think, in my time ; but - unless we can alter the outlook, relieve these fears, and give security in the international sphere, it is brought home to me with every day that I pass at my work that Europe is moving uneasily, slowly, it may be, but certainly to a new catastrophe." (MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERL&IN at Birmingham on April 6th.) WE have been surprised at the small attention paid generally to Mr. Chamberlain's words which we quoted three weeks ago. It is one thing for Mr. Lloyd George to try to make our flesh creep by speaking truly enough of " five Alsace-Lorraines " created in Europe by those who compiled the Treaty of Versailles. We are more surprised by the irony than impressed by the gravity of his words. It is quite another thing when a Minister, who is not prone to levity, addresses not only a present audience but also, as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, speaks " at long range " to the Govern- ments of the world with all the weight of his knowledge and responsibility.
What induced him to speak so gravely, even so gloomily ? As a member of the War Cabinet and holder of other high offices he had the best opportunities of gauging feeling during the War, and now he is in close touch with the thought of Europe's Cabinets. He must, like others, have been impressed for four and a half years with the good that war evokes from mankind, courage and self-sacrifice for ideals and common aims. But now, alas ! six years and more since the Armistice, he feels that the good has not prevailed over the inevitable evils that war encourages in men's minds—the trust in force alone to gain one's ends, the belief that might must be exercised to gain the right, and that the feelings of opponents cannot be considered. Generosity to the vanquished which should be the rule in peace remains, as it was necessarily towards the enemy in war, the exception. Within each nation one is tempted to draw analogies from the strife of classes. Thus, a Christian continent is moving " certainly to a new catastrophe."
Mr. Chamberlain must realize that the mass of the present generation is not willing to plunge again into the horrors that it has survived. But a generation is arising which knew not the War. Are the leaders of Europe so guiding her policy as to save the next generation ? It seems to us that there is a race against time. Will the spirit of co-operation, of reason, and of all that we hope from the League of Nations prevail before the day when men will again plunge into war unless their vision is changed ? How contrary to that spirit is the treatment of alien refugees now being hounded across frontiers in the Near East ; and within. frontiers what mockery is made of the pious aspirations of the " Minorities " Treaties. Among many points of danger which must have been present in Mr. Chamberlain's mind let us look at the conspicuous example of the eastern frontiers of Germany. She has proposed to give an undertaking that she will not try to alter them by force. That is good as a negative assurance. But we know that the Polish " corridor " to Dantzig is a piece of preposterous makeshift artificiality ; we know that the boundaries of Upper Silesia, fixed by the League of Nations and again annihi- lated so far as possible by an agreement imposed upon Germany and Poland for a period of fifteen years, may call for alteration. How soon will the rulers of Europe feel that the natural and proper course will be to come to the League of Nations with agreed proposals for treaties of adjustment and ask for the world's sanction?
We will not accuse . France of -sinning above others; but she is now the most powerful nation on the Continent and should set the example. Would to Heaven that she could sec in her own interest that her present power is vulnerable ; that unsound finance can ruin it ; that dependence on colonial armies is built upon the sands and marshes whence they are drawn. The French see a contrast between security on the Rhine for France and Belgium and security there for Germany. Perhaps Germany sees a like contrast. Cannot both be induced to see that what the world needs and demands is Security , unqualified and common to all concerned ? M. Painleve has claimed a strong personal friendship with Mr. Chamber- lain. We hope that lie will dare to allow himself to be influenced by it, for we cannot doubt that it will enlarge his views to the lasting benefit of the world. He should know where to find support if, for example, he fears to give offence to Poland where already distrust has been expressed for any French Government that is not headed by M. Poineare. And we beg Mr. Chamberlain himself to spare no effort to continue his policy of giving all the prestige he can to the League of Nations. His country will support him in that and every effort to alter the present outlook. So may Europe exchange the fear that now broods over her for the confidence of each nation in its neighbours' reason ; find the international security for which her peoples long, and by general good will save her- self from the new catastrophe that threatens her.
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