1924 - Annual Convention Report

              Oil A L B E R T A W O M E N ' S I N S T I T U T ES
where i t s secretariat is l o c a t e d . As y e t t h e weakness of t h e L e a g u e i s t h a t several
powerful nations are not affiliated w i t h i t . But t h a t weakness m a y yet p r o v e its
s t r e n g t h . The fact t h a t i n f l u e n t i a l n a t i o n s are s t i l l o u t s i d e a n d t h a t t h e w o r k of the
League must be g r e a t l y c r i p p l e d w h i l e t h e y r e m a i n outside, w i l l l e a d t h e t h o u g h t f ul
representatives of those n a t i o n s affiliated t o consider c a r e f u l l y where t h e f a u l t lies.
If there is any inherent injustice, or false f o u n d a t i o n or n a r r ow c o n c e p t i o n — by
b r i n g i n g a w o r l d viewpoint to bear on the o r g a n i z a t i o n a n d s c a n n i n g c a r e f u l ly
every d e t a i l — w h a t is offensive m a y be e l i m i n a t e d for i t i s o n l y b y j u s t a n d r i g h t e o us
d e a l i n g w i t h every n a t i o n t h a t i t can p r o p e r l y f u n c t i o n a n d be i n r e a l i t y a w o r l d ­wide
League of Peoples. The i n d i c a t i o n s are t h a t most of t h e s t r o n g n a t i o n s out­side
the League w i l l before long be inside. T u r k e y I believe is n e g o t i a t i n g for
entrance. Germany w i l l i n all l i k e l i h o o d be affiliated. The recent election in
F r a n c e gives v e r y encouraging i n d i c a t i o n s . France has always been one of the
most m i l i t a r y of n a t i o n s but the new G o v e r n m e n t headed b y H e r r i o t s e em t o be
anti- military". One of t h e new government's first proposals was to reduce the
m i l i t a r y service f r om t w o years t o s i x m o n t h s and a n o t h e r was t o a b o l i s h t h e C o u r ts
M a r t i a l . They also propose t o i n v i t e G e r m a n y a n d R u s s i a t o become members of
the League of N a t i o n s . The p r o b a b i l i t y i s t h a t G e r m a n y w i l l accept t h e i n v i t a t i o n,
a n d j o i n . That w i l l leave o n l y R u s s i a a n d the U n i t e d States of t h e great n a t i o ns
outside. It is difficult to p r e d i c t w h a t R u s s i a w i l l do b u t A m e r i c a w i l l p r o b a b ly
j o i n hands w i t h the other n a t i o n s . The P e a c e M o v e m e n t i s as s t r o n g i n t h e U n i t ed
States as i n a n y c o u n t r y . The p r o p a g a n d a to o u t l a w w a r s t a r t e d i n t h e U n i t ed
States. This m o v e m e n t has g a i n e d great g r o u n d i n o t h e r c o u n t r i e s since. President
C o o l i d g e has r e c e n t l y a n n o u n c e d t h a t he contemplates c a l l i n g a n o t h e r w o r l d con­ference
for the l i m i t a t i o n of a r m a m e n t s and for the c o d i f i c a t i o n of i n t e r n a t i o n al
laws.
A l r e a d y the League of N a t i o n s has j u s t i f i e d i t s existence. Its o r g a n i z a t i on
is democratic. E a c h n a t i o n whether large or s m a l l h a s an e q u a l v o i c e . N o t o n ly
does i t exist t o m a i n t a i n i n t e r n a t i o n a l peace w h i c h of course is t h e object for w h i c h '
it came i n t o b e i n g , b u t it deals i n a n i n t e r n a t i o n a l w a y w i t h great m o r a l a n d s o c i a l,
problems. It has its i n t e r n a t i o n a l l a b o r b u r e a u w h i c h deals w i t h l a b o r problems.
T h r o u g h the h e a l t h o r g a n i z a t i o n n a t i o n s m a y together fight diseases. It has
made vigorous onslaught o n t h e o p i u m a n d d r u g t r a d e . But i t s greatest achieve­ment
has been the e s t a b l i s h m e n t of a n i n t e r n a t i o n a l court of j u s t i c e at t h e H a g u e .,
T h i s is perhaps the most i m p o r t a n t step t o w a r d s s u b s t i t u t i n g l a w for w a r t h a t has
ever yet been u n d e r t a k e n . To remove the case u n d e r d i s p u t e f r om l o c a l p a s s i on
and prejudice and place it under the j u d i c i a l atmosphere of a great c o u r t where
facts can be c a l m l y r e v i e w e d a n d considered w i l l do m u c h t o p r e v e n t w a r . There
are s m a l l souls a n d i m p e r i a l l y m i n d e d m e n h e a r d i n the A s s e m b l y of t h e L e a g u e.
B u t while s u c h s p i r i t s as E x - P r e m i e r S m u t s , Sir G i l b e r t M u r r a y a n d D r . N a n s en
raise t h e i r voices, there, a note of such I n t e r n a t i o n a l i sm w i l l be s o u n d e d as w i ll
command the a t t e n t i o n of t h e w o r l d . W i t h a l l i t s s h o r t - c o m i n g s , i n t h e L e a g u e of
N a t i o n s we see the first movement on the p a r t of g o v e r n m e n t s to f o r m a w o r ld
c o m m o n w e a l t h of nations. In i t we see the first m a c h i n e r y t h a t has been set in
m o t i o n to deal w i t h a l l i n t e r n a t i o n a l disputes. In i t we see t h e first movement
towards the r e a l i z a t i o n of T e n n y s o n ' s i d e a l:
" W h e n t h e war d r u m t h r o b s no longer
A n d the b a t t l e flags are f u r l e d,
I n the p a r l i a m e n t of man,
T h e federation of t h e w o r l d . " .
T h e r e are m a n y forces a n d influences besides t h e L e a g u e of N a t i o n s w o r k i n g t o w a rd
I n t e r n a t i o n a l Peace. These forces s h o u l d a l l be r e c o g n i z e d , f o r a l l w i l l be needed
a n d a l l w i l l c o n t r i b u t e to the r e a l i z a t i o n of t h e great i d e a l — a f e d e r a t i o n of n a t i o ns
based on t h a t most sacred p r i n c i p l e — t h e b r o t h e r h o o d of h u m a n i t y.
I t is a n o t a b l e a n d most e n c o u r a g i n g fact t h a t m a n y of t h e w o r l d ' s greatest
w r i t e r s , not o n l y i n t h i s c o u n t r y a n d i n E u r o p e , b u t m e n of l e t t e r s i n A s i a t i c c o u n t r i es
are d e v o t i n g t h e i r t a l e n t s t o the s p r e a d of i n t e r n a t i o n a l p r i n c i p l e s , b e l i e v i n g t h a t the
exchange of t h o u g h t is one of the greatest f a c t o r s i n e l e m i n a t i n g n a t i o n a l h a t r e d.
A b e t t e r u n d e r s t a n d i n g of each other removes prejudice.
T h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l C o u n c i l of W o m e n h e l d a conference i n L o n d o n E n g l a n d,
i n M a y of t h i s year on t h e p r e v e n t i o n of the causes of war. This conference was'
s i g n i f i c a n t . Peace conferences of the past have a i m e d c h i e f l y at c r e a t i n g the w i ll
for peace. We are l e a r n i n g n o w t h a t i t is n o t sufficient to i n c u l c a t e i d e a l i s m . We
must make i t possible t o put our ideals i n t o p r a c t i c e . Not o n l y m u s t we seek" to
create t h e w i l l for peace b u t we m u s t s t u d y h o w t o r e m o v e t h e causes of w a r , so t h a t'
the ideals of peace m a y be p u t i n t o p r a c t i c e . So i t is a most h o p e f u l s i g n w h en
women f r om a l l t h e n a t i o n s meet together to s t u d y the causes of w a r a n d h o w to