Essays in Liberalism | Page 5

add that
the dispute still continues, and there is much recrimination and
bitterness between the two countries. The reason why only partial
success has been attained is because one must say Poland has shown a
miserable lack of the true spirit of the League.
Let me turn to the other parts of the Covenant--those which aim
directly at building up international co-operation. I am not sure that it is
always sufficiently realised that that is not only an implicit but also an
explicit object of the Covenant--that it is the main purpose for which
the League exists. International co-operation are the very first words of
the preamble to the Covenant. This is the fundamental idea I cannot
insist on too strongly, because it does really go down to the very
foundations of my whole creed in political matters. International
co-operation, class co-operation, individual co-operation--that is the
essential spirit if we are to solve the difficulties before us. Let me
remind you of the two instances of the action of the League in dealing
with the threat of epidemics to Europe. A conference was called at
Washington to consider what could be done to save Europe from the
danger of epidemics coming from the East. What is interesting is that in

that conference you had present not only members of the League
considering and devising means for the safety of Europe, but you had
representatives of Germany and Russia--a splendid example of the
promotion of international co-operation extending even beyond the
limits of the membership of the League. Admirable work was done. All
countries co-operated quite frankly and willingly under the presidency
of a distinguished Polish scientist.
That is one example of what we mean by international co-operation.
Perhaps an even more striking example was the great work of Dr.
Nansen in liberating the prisoners of war who were in Russia. He was
entrusted with the work on behalf of the League. The prisoners of war
belonged to all nationalities, including our enemies in the late war. He
accomplished his work because he went about it in the true spirit of the
League, merely anxious to promote the welfare of all, leaving aside all
prejudices whether arising from the war or from any other cause. Dr.
Nansen is in my judgment the incarnation of the spirit of the League,
and his work, immensely successful, restored to their homes some
350,000 persons, and he did it for less money than he originally
estimated it would cost.
Do not put me down as a facile optimist in this matter. In the matter of
international co-operation we have a long way to go before we reach
our goal, and we can already see one or two serious failures. I deeply
deplore that last year the League found itself unable, through the
instructions given by the Governments which composed it, to do
anything effective on behalf of the famine in Russia. It was a most
deplorable failure for the League, and still more deplorable for this
country. It was a great opportunity for us to show that we really did
mean to be actuated by a new spirit in international affairs, and that we
did recognise that the welfare of all human beings was part--if you like
to put it so--of our national interests. We failed to make that
recognition. We have been trying feebly and unsuccessfully to repair
that great mistake ever since, and for my part I do not believe there is
any hope of a solution of the Russian difficulty until we absolutely
acknowledge the failure we then made, and begin even at this late hour
to retrace the false step we then took.

I could give other instances of failure, but I do not wish to depress you,
and there are cheering things we may look at. It is a matter of great
relief and congratulation that the policy of mandates really does appear
to be becoming effective, and one of the greatest activities of the
League. Nothing is better than the conception which the mandate clause
embodies, that the old ideas of conquest are to be put aside; that you
are not to allow nations to go out and take chunks of territory for
themselves; that they must hold new territory not for themselves, but on
behalf of and for the benefit of mankind at large. This is at the bottom
of mandates. Since I am speaking on behalf of Professor Murray, I
ought to remind you of the provisions of the Covenant for the
protection of racial linguistic minorities, and minorities in different
countries. It has not yet become an effective part of the machinery of
the League, but I look forward to the time when we shall have
established the doctrine that all racial minorities are entitled to be
treated