South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-12-30
LAWS VIOLATED BY
WARNING NATIONS
Germany and Great Britain
Scored at Pan American
Congress Session.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 80. Ger
many and Great Britain. under the
plea OF military necessity, have yio-
lated every law which stood in their
way, declared Or. Theodore S. Wool
sey. former president OF information
al law at Yale. in a stirring address
before the Pan-American Scientific
congress Wednesday.
The address was the moss severe
indictment OF these two powers yet
made during the congress. Unless
some means is found TO punish these
violators OF international codes" he
declared. then nations may we'll de-
spair of any hope OF international
justice. and wars must always lapse
into the barbarities OF savagery.
Two years ago I could without
fear OF contradiction have asserted
that international law had advanced
nightly since the NapOleonic era
in two particulars-the illumination
OF war and the rights Of neutrals.
Neutral rights are no longer re-
garded The world is full of plot
ting and espionage, of explosion and
arson. OF duplicity and treachery, Of
suffering and death and civilization.
which means the reign OF law, sinks
below the bloody horizon. A law
unenforced does not survive. But
when penalty follows violation Of
the law. no matter how often the
law is broken, it is triumphant. SO
il is with the law of nations"
Proposes Remedy.
DIT. WOOlsey proposed the estab-
lishment of a tribunal of neutral
powers to sit in judgment upon the
belligerents. with power to decree
punishment of the offending power
for any violation OF international
law.
To-day" he declared after II
months OF war in Europe, l am
forced to admit both Germany and
Great Britain haze violated every
rule OF international law that has
stood in their way. The rights Of
neutrals are ignored. We have seen
defenseless towns bOmbarded; non
combatants killed. murders com
mitted by submarine attack and an
outcropping the world over of sense
less ruin.
of there is to be no penalty then
international law has broken down
and the future holds but little hope.
There are two courses of punish
ment retaliation or penalty. Retalia-
ton is illogical. for with it the man
higher up cannot be made to suffer.
If Great Britain had hanged the son
OF Admiral Won Tirpitz it would have
been one way, but an illogical way
OF avenging a method of submarine
attack without warning on unarmed
merchant ships, which all OF us
agree is murder"
PcnfieId Speaks.
Walter Scott Peniield, formerly of
the state department, addressed the
congress on arbitration. After Civ
ing the history of arbitration settle
ments. that American countries have
been parties to- he urged the follow
ing:
The broadening of arbitration
treaties
The adoption Of a code of public
and private international law.
The creation of a Pan-American
court OF arbitration to be located at
the city of Panama.
John Barrett. secretary general Of
the congress, Wednesday issued a
statement on the results Of the con-
gress TO date. He said the dominant
note that mas been struck so far is
one Of sympathy and unity of
thought. He emphasized the social
side of the congress as having great
influence. in bringing the United
States and the southern countries
closer together. He said there are
assembled in Washington today more
foreign officially accredited delegates
than have ever attended any inter-
national congress in the national
capital.
Taking a fling at Prof. LowelFs
Marian canal theory. Or. John A
Brashear. a Pittsburgh astronomer,
declared that If any planet was in
habited il was Venus and not Mars.
Holding that the rarity of the at
mosphere made Mars uninhabitable
MIR Brashear said the atmosphere
OF Venus was as dense now as that
OF the earth in prehistoric times
when life in all forms was richest.