The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1915-07-31
The Report

THE object OF the committee has been
limited and practical 1t has sought
only to formulate. as a basis for inter.
national discussion and in the light of history
and experience. the heads OF an international
agreement by which future wars may be as
far as possible prevented. There is at least
a hope that, as a result OF the existing terri
BILE experience, a war-weary world may pres
emily be willing to construct some new inter
%n.tional machinery which can be brought into
play TO prevent the nations from again being
stampeded into Armageddon.
The first difficulty will be to get the Gov
ernments. either of tie eight great Powers or
OF the forty lesser States-an of them neces-
sarily wary and suspicious-to agree TO the
creation of any such International machinery.
II Is therefore essential. IL we are TO be prac-
teal. 20 limit our proposals to that for which
there is at least some reason to expect con-
sent. What is suggested is. accordingly. no
merging OF independent national units into n
world State" though TO this Utopia future
ages may we'll come.
No impairment of sovereignty and no sac
rihce OF independence are proposed. Each
State even remains quite free to go to war. In
the last resort, II the dispute In which 1t is
engaged proves intractable. Moreover, ma
tional disarmament-to which at this moment
no State will even dream OF taking the small
est steps left TO come about OF itself. Just
as the individual carrying Of arms falls silent.
~ into desuetude as and when fears of az
gression die down before the rule OF the law.
Inc new WOriu Adht we nave 10 race at the
conclusion Of the war viii, perforce. start
from the ruins OF the old. All that VIII ba
Immediately practicable can be presented as
only a more systematic development of the
rapidly multiplying arbitration treaties OF the
present century. and the conclusions OF the
two conventions OF The Hague. Only on some
such lines. Il Is suggested. can we reasonably
hope. az this j%uncture. to get the Governments
OF the world 10 come into the proposed agree
ment
The alternative to war is law. What we
have 10 do il TO find some way OF deciding
differences between States. and OF securing
the same acquiescence in the decision as Ia
now shown by individual citizens In a legal
judgment. This involves the establishment Of
a supernatural authority. which is the es-
sence OF our proposals.
What is suggested IL. first. the establish.
ment OF an International High Court. TO which
the nations shall agree to submit. not all their
possible differences and disputes. but only
such as are. by their very nature. legal" or
"tusticiable." Experience warrants the belief
that the decisions Of such a judicial tribunal.
confined 70 the issues which the iltiaant
states had sub 10 u. would normally BE-
accepted by them. Provision e. made. how.
ever. for a series OF Sanctions other than
war" principal. economic and social IN char
acter. BY which al the constituent states
could bring pressure % bear on any State not
obeying q decision ~ the court.
Alongside the International High Court. but
without authority over o.. there should be an
international Council. composed Of repreaen.
tatives Of such Of the forty or fifty indepond.
ent sovereign States Of the world ~ NAV
choose voluntarily 20 take part ~ is pro
posed that this International Council should
be differently constituted and Organized ar.
cordlng tl AZ 10 acts az n world legislature
Tor codifying and amending International law.
and Tor dealing with questions interesting
only America or Europe respectively: or tI
ia invoked by any constituent State TO modI.
atc In any lisputo not % n nature 90 be- sub.
mltted 90 The International High Court 10 Is
not suggested that the ondrtmenta or fne de-.
ciaiona OF the International Council should
except 10 a very limited extent. be- binding
ON states unwilling fo ratlfy or arnuieare Ina
them Subject tO me provisions made to n-o.
vent The proceedings being brought % naurbt
By "a tiny and unimporfant minority. on mai.
tcrs OF secondary importance. 10 ts aurrnsfrf
that The International Council must content
itself. az any rate at the outset. with ttat
greatest common measure" which commandq
general assent
Provision ig made Tor an International Ser.
retariaf and an international Official Gazette
ln which 40 treaties or agrccmcrfa viii h.
Immediately published. mo- others being rec.
orniEed o. 'eEardcd aa enforceable.
ln view n tho fact Thar no fewer cha,
tu one 1uf 0f ere forty fo nrg infrretf