The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-09-02
HARVARD PRESIDENT EXPLAIN PLANS OF
 THE PEACE LEAGUE
Says Proposals of Philadel- phia Conference Have No
 Connection With War.

In the current issue or the Atlantic
 Monthly, A. Lawrence Lowell, presi- dent of Harvard, outlines the pur- poses of the League to Enforce Peace, organized at Philadelphia in Indepen- dence Hall on June IT. President Lowell was the originator of the pro posal adopted by the Philadelphia conference, that the joint armed for ces of league of nations be used against any nation in the league vio- lating the peace-pact. In the article he emphasizes the fact that such arm ed intervention is to be used only to compel nations to arbitrate their quar- rels, and not to enforce the decrees of the arbitrators. He also points out that the leagues plans have no reference to the present European
 war, but relate to the future only.
 Some of the more striking para graphs of the article are:
 'tIn spite of ifs onimous sound, the suggestion of a league of nations to
 enforce peace has no connection with any effort to stop the present war. It is aimed solely at preventing fu- ture conflicts, after the terrific strug- gle now raging has come to an end; and yet this is not a bad time for
 people in private life to bring for ward proposals of such nature.
 ''No sensible man expects to abolish wars altogether, but we ought to seek reduce the probability of war as much as possible. It is these grounds that the suggestion has been put forth of a league of nations to enforce peace.
 Without attempting to cover de- tails of operation (which are, indeed, of vital importance and will require careful study by experts in interna- tional law and diplomacy), the pro- posal contains four points stated as general objects. The first ifs that be- fore resorting to arms the members of the league shall submit disputes with one another, if justiciable, to an international tribunal; second, that in like manner they shall submit non l justiciable questions-that is, such as cannot be decided on a basis of strict | international la.W-to international council of conciliation. which shall i recommend a fair and amicab1e solu- i tion; third, that if any member of the ] league wages war against another be- fore submitting the question in dis pute to the tribunal or council, all | the other. members shall jointly use l forthwith both their economic and | military forces against the state that i so breaks the peace; and fourth, that l the signatory powers shall endeavor to codify and improve the rules of 1n- ternational law.
 ''The kernel of the proposal, the l feature in which it differs from other plans, lies in the third point, obIiging | all the members of the league to de- clare war on any member violating the pact of peace. This is the provi- sion that provokes both adherence and opposition; and at first it certain ly gives one a shock that a people should be asked to pledge itself to go to war over a quarrel which is not of its making, in whichkit has no inter est, and in which it may believe that Justice lies on the other side. If. indeed, the nations of the earth could maintain complete isola- tion, could pursue each it's own des- tiny, without regard. to the rest; if they were not affected by a war be- tween two others, liable to be drawn into it; if, in short, there were no overwhelming common interest in securing universal peace, the provi- sion would be into1erable. It would be as bad the liability of an indi- vidual to take part in the posse coni- tatus of a community with which he had nothing in common But in every civilized country the public force is ever just his claim from vindicating his own right with his own hand, instead of going to law, and every citizen is bound when needed, to as- sist in preventing him, because that Is the only way to restrain private
 
 is of paramount importance for every one. Surely the family of nations has a like interest in restraining war between states.
 People have asked how such al league would differ from the Triple or Triple Entente-whether 1t would not be nomina1ly a combi- nation for peace which might have quite a different effect But, in fact II it's object is quite contrary to- those alliances. They are designed to pro- tect their members against outside Powers. This is intended to insure l peace among the members themselves Il If it grew strong enough, by including all the great Powers, it might we'll insist on universal peace by compen- ing the outsiders to come in But that is not its primary object, which is simply to prevent it's members from going to war with one another"