The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1911-09-13

spear and the helmet of We daunrless
knight.
ton of those opposing the arbitration
treaties between the United States
and England and France, is this. We
are in favor of arbitration OF such
matters as we decide should be sub
ject to arbitration, but, in certain in
stances, we reserve the right to de-
eide whether a matter is properly
subject for arbitration.
Let us see how this would work out
| if applied to the individual; and we
held that the situations are analogous
| for we maintain that as the rights OF
the commonwealth are superior to
those of the individual, so the rights
| of civilization and of humanity are
superior to the rights of the nation.
Therefore, we repeat, let us see how
this would work as applied to the in
dividual
A man kills another under circum-
stances which he believes to be en-
tirely justifiable. He is about to. be
arrested and taken before the court.
Hold on" he cries, Il am willing to
go before the court where l think the
court ought to have jurisdiction. but
! in this instance l do not think it is a
matter for the courts, but a matter
for my strong right arm
1t is absurd, untenable, ridiculous.
1t makes the courts a farce. Every
man would decide according to his
own self interest whether his case
was a proper one for the courts or
not
If this position is absurd, untenable
and ridiculous when applied to the IN
dividual, it is absurd, untenable and
ridiculous when applied to nations.
There can be no arbitration unless
the parties involved are prepared TO
surrender to some impartial tribunal
the right, not only to settle such dis
putes as may be brought before it. but
| to decide what disputes shall be
brought before it.
Every nation, like every individual,
has the undoubted right of self-de-
Tense. If man attacks you with muir
derous intent, you have the undoubted
right to defend yourself even to the
|extent of taking the life of your OPP
ponent. Every nation has the same
right. If it is threatened by an in
vader, it has the unquestioned right
|of self-defense. Further than thai. the
nation, like the individual, should
have no rights to try its own causes,
if the much talked of era of universal
peace is ever to come to pass.
The law-abiding citizen does not at
tempt to punish the pickpocket he
does not attempt to sentence the
burglar, he does not even reply to the
blow upon the cheek. He recognizes
that the law of the land is higher than
all and above ali, and that he who
would seek the protection of the law
must comply with the law,
Nations must learn tue same lesson.
The nation is to the world what the
individual is TO the nation. The Unit
ed States is not responsible to the
United States alone; it is responsible
10 humanity and to God. We believe
that the arbitration treaties formu-
lated by President Taft and signed
by the representatives of the three
great nations involved are the great
lest steps towards universal peace that
have ever yet been taken. If they are
Improved and ratified, other nations
will see the benefits and be anxious to
conclude similar treaties. War is a
terrible evil 1t is frightful scourge
when in progress and constant 'nen-
ace and expense in times of peace. 1t
should be eliminated from the pro-
gram of any christian nation. The
first step towards the elimination of
war and it's horrors, and of the ire
mendous expense of armies and
navies, is to be found in just such
treaties as the president proposes. Of
course such treaties involve the sur
render of the right to decide for our
selves and to make war as We list.