ABETTING A CRIME
[To. the Editor of the SrEcr.vron.]
Sun; --AA matter for much- misgiving with regard to the inter- national situation to-day is that, although under the League Covenant and Briund-Kellogg Pact war has been renounced as constituting a crime, it is, none the less, a crime that may be, and is being aided and abetted with impunity both by the Bankers and Munition Industries of neutral States throughout the world.
That the present conflict in the Far East is being subsidized in this manner by non-combatant States has been made alma- dantly clear. At the same time, unless the League's member. ship can be increased to give it absolutely comprehensive authority to deal with the matter it is not easy to sec. how, in this respect, the existing rights of private firms can he inter- fered with and a danger subversive to League authority removed.
It may not be out of place, in connexion with this conflict, to recall the fact that, since the Russo-Japanese war was contested, Japanese national sentiment has undergone a fundamental change. The country has become highly indus- trialized and although patriotism is unabated, it has, of late (regular armed forces excepted) shown a marked tendency to express itself in a desire to control events and hold its militarists in hand rather than rush into hostilities when these may be avoided: It is not suggested that Japan is on the verge of a social revolution, but more unlikely things than this have happened during the present century and many who have light- heartedly made long-term credits for munitions -may, in the fulness of time, have reason bitterly to regret their action—if, -indeed, they have not already had cause to-do this.—I apt Sir,
Previous page
