New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-29
OPENS Conference on Inter.
national Relations at
Long Beach
Butler Sounds Warning
Columbia Head Says German
Victory Would Mean Ruin
to United States
From a sur Correspondent o, III. rribunel

From star Correspondent, os III. rribunel
Long Beach. May 28.-Passage o.
specific world laws, to be administered
BY a world court and backed by PUBIC
opinion Of every nation involved IN tn'
agreement, was advocated by Charles
T.. Hughes as the most certain means o.
substituting right for might at tn'
conclusion of the present world war.
In the event that certain powers re
fuse to participate in such CONFER
ence following the war, the FORMER
candidate for President suggested ina
the other powers go ahead and draw uf
such a world code Of their own ane
enforce it in the interests of justice
This proposal was the outstanding
plan offered here tonight at the open
ing of the three-day national confer
ence on foreign relations of the United
States. at which experts on interna'
tional law hope to reach some agree
ment looking to a perpetual "orio
peace following the conclusion OF the
present war. Nicholas Murray Butler
president of Columbia University, and
Professor Samuel McCune Lindsay
head of the department of social leg
islation at Columbia University, agreed
with this suggestion, which prooaoiy
will be the foundation upon which
specific plan for a world government
and international intercourse VIII De
worked out before the conclusion OF
the present conference.
Old World Method Fails
"The fundamental yAeed is the devel-
opment of a true body of international
law" said Mr.. Hughes. "The labors OF
iurists will continue to be helpful, and
the effort will still be made to extract
from history, from treaties and con-
ventions, from manuals and ordinances
from diplomatic correspondence and
official papers. from decisions of courts
and from standard writers, the evil
dence of the consent of the nations
upon which the rules governing inter
national conduct depend for their au-
thority. But it has long been evident
that this method of development IS
most unsatisfactory. What rules of
controlling importance, DISCRIMINATING
of serious controversies, can be said
to be generally accepted? 1t seems TO
be agreed that the most earnest efforts
should be made to secure an authorita-
tive and appropriately definite state
ment of accepted principles and the
formulation of rules to which assent Is
given, as well as to provide means for
such additions and notifications as
may from time to time be required.
This is the function of the interna-
tonal conference. The Importance OF
the development of body of law IN
this authoritative way must not be
overlooked in Jealous endeavor to pro-
vide for the judicial determination Of
international disputes. Courts presup-
pose laws. They develop the law in the
course of judicial decisions, by creating
a series of judicial precedents, but they
must proceed upon premises and apply
established principles.
"Mr. Root has pointedly illustrated
this by reference to the failure to es-
tablish the international prize court,
for which provision was made by the
second Hague conference, in conse-
quence Of the failure TO- ratify the Dec
lsration of London, and thus to supply
general agreement as to the APP
plicable rules, in the absence of which
the necessary basis, for the action of
the court was wanting. The matter of
chief consequence is not that any par
ticular conference should be held, but
that the international conference
should be recognized as an institution,
as the essential organ of International
expression in stating and developing
international law"
German Victory Means Ruin
President Butler said that if the war
was won by imperialism the United
States would find it unnecessary to
concern itself with matters of foreign
relations for some time.
"These matters would be taken care
Of for them" he said, "by power that
had shown itself strong enough TO
overcome and to suppress the interna-
tionally minded men and nations. On
the other hand, if, as we confidently
hope and believe, the issue of this war
Is to be favorable to the free, self-gov-
erning democracies of the world, then
the people Of the United States must
address themselves with redoubled en-
ergy and with closest attention to
those matters Of legislation, of ad-
ministrstion, and Of general public
policy which constitute and determine
national conduct. The first task Of
this conference and Of every similar
conference that may be held hereafter
is to drive this lesson home"
Tomorrow morning the actual work
Of the conference will be taken up,
when such subjects as "Open Diplo.
macy; Democratic Control Of Diplo-
matte Discussions" will be taken up.
The effect OF censorship In interna-
tional relations also promises to fu,-