The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1914-08-10
European War Stimulates Interest in
Secretary of War Program-Means
Great Personal Triumph.
BUT ONE BINDING LAUsE
Commission Appointed Cannot be Pre-
vented From Action in Any Dispute
Japan Only Nation Opposed.
CBy Congressman c.. H. Tavenner.)


European war has stimulated inter
est in Secretary of State Bryan s
peace program and will undoubtedly
result in the ratification by the sen
ate of the twenty peace treaties
which have been sent to the Foreign
Relations committee by Mr.. Brian.
The contamination of these treaties
and IA others with countries which
have already Indicated their accept
ance of the principle involved will
make the United States the foremost
advocate of peace among the great
nations of the earth. 1t will be a
personal triumph for Mr.. Bryan and
will write his name foremost anon g
those who have striven to- brin g
about the universal brotherhood of
man.
The principle of all the treaties is
the submission of all international
disputes to permanent commissions
of inquiry for findings of. fact. 1T
is not arbitration in any sense. 1t
is merely a jury arriving at a verdict.
No nation a party to one of these
treaties is bound in any way to abide
by the decision of the permanent
commission.
There is only one binding clause
in the entire treaty and that is that
no nation can prevent the commits
sion acting on the dispute. Once the
commission is appointed by two ma
lions, it's control is out of the hands
of either of the nations or both of
them for all time to come, since the
commission is controlled by a ma
jority not of either nation. And the
solemn duty of this majority; accept
ed when they accepted their ap-
pointments' to the commission, is to
intervene voluntarily whenever the
nations come to a dispute.
20 Of them are virtually identical
are read and better understood, there
will come through the entire civiliz-
ed world an admiration for the
author of them and the brain and
purpose that inspired them The
people of the world, the common peo-
pie, 40 not want wars; they are peace
lovers, and these treaties are the
best guarantees of peace that have
ments.
These treaties are almost uncanny
in their intelligence and in their ex-
preston of broad appreciation of the
causes of actions by men and by
nations. If they were not drawn
in such good cause they could BIZ
said to have written with cunning
A short analysis will show this tc
be true.
Nations are like men-they are
swayed by public opinion There
probably does not exist the nation
that will deliberately brave adverse
public opinion. Therefore, although
these treaties do not bind nations
to the findings of the commission
their hold and grip is stronger than
any binding promise. They threaten
to and will turn public opinion
against the nation which is wrong in
any dispute, and thus possibly do by
indirection what no treaty could Dc
by direction.
The belligerent nation cannot pre-
vent action by the commission. The
commission will report it's verdict
and that verdict will mold the public
opinion of the earth. And thu
nation adjudged to be wrong, which
still insists upon fighting, will fine
itself entirely without moral support
The failure of the treaties to binG
nations to the findings of the inter
national commissions of inquiry il
another way added final touch to thi:
masterpiece of diplomacy. It is 81
much easier with nations as with me1
to do thing voluntarily rather tina:
under compulsion. Thus any nation
in dispute and found by the commiss
inc commission to be in the wrons
by yielding can make a show o
magnaninity that would he lacking
if the ruling were compulsory. TIL
rulers of that nation, though losing il
the dispute, can still hear tn
applause of the world when the,
yield. ~. -,
1t is objected that in the presen
European conflict peace treaties hav
been found to have very slight hol,
upon the nations signatory to them
but the answer Isl that no nation
have yet signed such treaties as Nh
Bryan has drawn and which 8
nations, including all of the grea
powers except Japan, have signifie
their Willingness to accept.