South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-08-04
The Report

IT HE object of the committee has been
limited and practical 1t has sought
- only to formulate. as basis for inter-
national discussion and in the light of history
and experience the heads Q: IN 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
national machinery which can be brought into
play 10 prevent the nations from again being
stampeded into Armageddon
The first difficulty will be to get the Gov
ernments. either of the eight great Powers or
of the forty lesser States-all OF them neces-
sarily wary and suspicious-to agree to the
creation of any such international machinery.
II is therefore essential, if we are to be prac-
teal. 10 limit 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
"world-State" though to this Utopia future
ages may well come
No impairment of sovereignty and no sa =
rifce of independence are proposed Each
State even remains quite free TO 60 10 war in
the last resort if the dispute in which i. is
engaged proves ntraCtabe. Moreover, ma
tiOnal disarmament-tO which at this mc.aelt
no State will even dream Of taking the small
est steps left to come about Of tsslf just
as the individual carrying CT arms falls silent
erosion die down before the rule oil the law
The world lat have to face at the
conclusion Of the war will, perforce, start
from the ruins of the old All that will be
Immediately pra ctiCable can be presented as
only 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. it is suggested. can we reasonably
hope. at this iuncture to get the Governments
ri a world
ment
The alternative to war is law. What we
have TO do is to find some way Of deciding
differences between States and of securing
the same acquiescence in the decision as is
low shown by individual citizens in a legal
Judgment This involves the establishment OF
supernatural authority, which is the es-
sence OF our proposals.
What is suggested is. first the establish.
nent of an International High Court. to which
he nations shall agree to submit, not all their
possible differences and disputes, but only
such as are. by their very nature, legal"
justiciable" Experience warrants the belief
hat the decisions of such a judicial tribunal.
confined 70 the issues which the litiqant
States had submitted to IL. would normally be
accepted by them. Provision is 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 to bear on any State not
obeying decision of the court
Alongside the International High Court. but
without authority over it. there should be an
International Council, composed of represen-
tatives of such of the forty or fifty independ-
snt sovereign States Of the world as may
choose voluntarily TO take pErt. 1t is pro-
posed that this International Council should
De differently constituted and organized &C
cording Cd as IL acts "A world legislature
FOR codifying and amending international law.
and for dealing with questions interesting
only America or Europe respectively; or (2l
is invoked by any constituent State 10 medi-
ate in any dispute not of a nature TO be sub
nitted 10 the International High Court Ii is
not suggested that the enactments or the de-
cisiOns OF the International Council should,
except TO a very limited extent be binding
IN States unwilling 10 ratify or acQuiesce in
hem. Subject TO the provisions made 10 pre-
vent the proceedings being brought 10 naught
oy a tiny and unimpOrtant minority, on mat
ters Of secondary Importance II is suggested
hat the International Council must content
Itself, at any rate at the outset, with that
greatest common measure which Commands
general assent
Provision is made for international Sec
-etariat and an international Official Gazette.
n which all treaties or agreements Will be
Immediately published no others being rec
ognized OF regarded as enforceable.
In view Of the fact that no fewer than
,wertvOne ont NJ the fortv 10 fifty r9e7end-