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country, each with differing short term interests and
political alignments, will be able to put into effective
practice the system of collective security attempted by
the League.
The difficulties of a limitation of armaments
among nations retaining the national right to arm has
already been discussed. Nevertheless the control of
armaments must be the starting point in any permanent
measures for international security.
The case for the abolition of national armaments
has been stated. Given the acceptance of this principle
and the creation of an international police force or
forces, the difficulties of bringing into being interna-
tional machinery for dealing effectively with political
problems would become far less onerous. It is indeed pos-
sible that under such circumstances a world political organ-
ization could be set up. Such a proposal would, however,
encounter considerable opposition not only in U.S.A. but
also in the Dominions. It is also doubtful whether a world
wide organization would deal as effectively with the problems
of Europe, or the Pacific or Central America as a more
limited arrangement under which the nations most directly
concerned undertook responsibility for the maintenance of
regional security and the Settlement of regional
difficulties.
In certain influential euarters the idea of a United States
of Europe is being advocated as a development of the regional
idea. Such proposals take differing forms. Among its advocates,
it is common ground that a European council should settle
European affairs and maintain European security. Many advocate
that the colonies of European nations should be administered by the
European council. Full blooded European federalists propose a
European Parliament. It is neither necessary to dismiss the idea of
such a federation as impossible nor on the other hand to regard so
ambitious an idea as being essential to world security. From the
standpoint of the British Commonwealth the idea of a European
Federation has many