FORCE, LEGAL AND ILLEGAL
.[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] SIR,—A8 an old soldier who has also had experience of police Work -in.Peace and War may I try to point out that when amateurs try to explain that War " can become " police Work'? they are making matters worse and themselves' ridiculous ? An operation depends on what it is all about. Or. Sheppard is correct when he states that in order to abolish war it isuceessary to undertake not to take part in it. • The Archbishop of York has told me personally that " no Army is .` legally.' armed except when it has authority from the League _to • employ force." Police forces do not fight or compete in•armament races.against each other, and to compare. the action taken by the League in the Saar (when nobody- was " taking sides " and all were bent on Peace) with any action which the League may take, " in the field," is futile. The Archbishop of York also told us all on September 1st 011 the wireles that GosPel 'guidance (the phrase is mine) is conditioned by an over-riding legality," which in view of his words to me, convinces me that we must not only give up Using the expressions, " Police 7 and Sanctions " when we
for War,. but that we must also .follow Dr. Sheppard or fail, Tor thewhich the Archbishop over-riding " Legality" to refers Christians are to co
means that in peace time: we condone " illegality " by permitting armies to be armed at all. In other words apparently what is clearly wrong and therefore Contrary to the Law of God and the Teachings of Christ in peace-time., by. some magic dispensation becomes right if the League takes it on in war-time I
I am afraid I am too red a soldier to be so convinced, and out of my personal experience of a. somewhat hectic life I feel drawn .to the downright directness of Dick Sheppard in Preference. to the obvious indirectness of the leaders of the
Churehes.--Yours faithfully, F. P. CROZIER, . East Lodge, Walton-on-Thames. . Brig.-General.
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