Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-14


Mention was made of the proposed treaties between
France, Great Britain, and the United States. ado
you expect that similar treaties between the United
States and other countries, addition Great Britain
and France, will be made?'
This same agreement had also been submitted to the
foreign office of France and in it the outline of the
plan for making all disputes between nations capable of
adjustment without resort to arms France in
as the second power ready to follow the lead of the
EYES, he said quickly as if voicing policy on which
he had decided. 3When this goes through, proposals
of like nature will be made to other great Powers"
60 far the President had expressed his confidence of
= the final outcome, his conviction that progress
toward world peace must be careful and painstaking
and his determination to have this country figure
Power holding out the olive branch to all the rest of
the world After that, he explained the method by
which the goal could be reached:
AT present, it seems to me- the best method is the
establishment of international court and the de-
veopment OF code of International equity that nations
will recognize as affordng better method of settling
international controversies than war;
That is the great task confronting him, the leader
and all the other workers for peaceto elaborate and
construct fauessly code of international law that
will appeal to the nations capable of settling all
questions whether the controversies affect property
whether they touch that vague ultrasensitve quality
called national honor But the President believes
that matters of national honor be disposed of
well as property issues he thing done in national
courts and since the ideal is to have for the nations
merely splendid elaboration of national courts, it
should be done in the of international discussion
and arbitration.
Before saw the President one of his closest friends
had told me:
aYou will find that the President is not seeking
transtory and ephemeral result from this movement.
50 far as getting any credit for it IS concerned he
movement which has gained its momentum ran recently is
to produce lasting good it must be conducted sanely
and strongly with for lasting results and not for
passing popular acclaim. 1t is thing that may well
be dsasrousy retarded by haste and overenthusiasm
Mr. Tafts discussion of the subject his desire to have
the public every country study the proposition and
his appreciation of the difficulties to be overcome bore
out the prediction
His eagerness for the education of the worlds popu-
laton in regard to the proposal is easily explained by
International Law last spring He explained then that
the cause OF universal peace must be forwarded by the
conscience of countries.
international law has sanction except in the con-
science of nations, he pointed OUT @and nations have
not anywhere the conscience that individuals have
You take mob, and consider the spirit that governs
it distinguished from that which governs the in
dividuas making the mob and you find that that illus
traes the difference between the conscience of the in
dividual and the conscience of nation And yet the
utltarlan spirit, perhaps the real conscience, in all
nations has ultimately brought about sanction for
what call international law, without any power to
enforce it. but simply from the general public opinion
of all the peoples of the world.
Begun by individuals reasoning from their con-
sciences and from their of justice without
any power to enforce their opinions, and finally but
reluctantly adopted by nations by consent the
history of the growth of international law may well
command admiration, WONDER and our hope
for growth in the scope and sanction of such law in the
future that should make us all optimists"
WHILE to the President there has fallen the disnc
ton of being the first great Power ruler to offer to
the world and apparently method of ultimately
abolshing warfare he is not alone in his appreciation of
the difficulties of the task Andrew Carnegie in handing
his ten million dollars for the promotion of the
object did it in language that expressed his knowledge
that the end could be attained only after years of
pagning and endeavor. The principal use that will be
made of the annual income of five hundred thousand
dollars from his gift will be to disseminate literature
calculated to educate the people of country