New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-05
pAN.MONROEISM NO NOVELTY
Wby Has Rants Plan for Perpetual Peace
Never Been Carried Out!

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: President wilson's proposal IN MS re-
cent address to the United States Senate OF
World peace league of nations is by no means
nev idea. In 1896 Emmanuel Kant published
at Konigsberg, Germany, his science VI
Right" as the first part Of his Metapnys!'
of Morals" The section or chap'er o. ''''
work entitled perpetual Peace and ferina-
rent Congress Of Nations contains the lo'-
lowing suggestions:
.,,;o- - states in order 10 maintain peace,
on -. .aIod a permanent congress of nations ana
l., L free To every neghboring state I" 'o'" A.
union Of this kind SO far, AT least ~ a.
forr,al;,ies of the right of nations III respS. u
a-,,.,;or of peace was presented IN inc ms
half Of this century eighteenth III u'e
Of the Stats,-Genera at The Hague -,
D. ,ch n congress is here meant only Nolul-
49,. combination of different states that "oulu De
dissoIuble at any time. and not sueh u'iion Go
embodied in the United States OF America ioui'ueu
- . noltical constitution. and, therefore. ihus'
rni 7, 3; oplv nv n congress of this kind that the
az. ~ public right OF nations can De esIAoiiS"
and that the settlement of their differences Dy 'e
mode Of a civil process, and not by the baroarou'
means of war. can be realized.
This is A pretty complete exposition OF all
tho essentials of the peace league of the
world in behalf of which so much is being
urged at present. 1t seems to have been
brought forward nearly, if not quite, two
hundred years ago. One hundred and twenty
years ago it enlisted no less renowned a
champion and expositor than Germany's
greatest philosopher, Emmanuel Kant. 1t is
certainly attractive. 1t appeals to the heart
as we'll as to the imagination. Why has it
a eha, 1np1 this Has
IL not been because it has appeared imprac-
ticable? And are there not some rather
cogent reasons for it being so regarded?
The President, in his recent address to the
United States Senate, proposes that the peace
lnaugurated at the close of the present world
war be crowned with a world peace league
and the United States join that league. Wars
are generally terminated by treaties Of peace
between the warning nations. Such treaties
usually provide for indemnities and the like.
The treaties which any conceivable peace in
Europe will call forth will undoubtedly pro-
vide for immense indemnities. Such treaties
have heretofore only been enforceable by
war. The new world peace league is to take
the place of the old order. Therefore. if n
world peace league is formed and the United
States joins it it will be "A party 70 the en-
forcement of the peace treaties growing out
Of this world war, even though that should
neccssitate the United States going to war
to enforce them. In other words, if by the
treaty of peace the Entente Allies engage
to pay the Central Empires $4,000 00O 900,
or, on the other hand. if by such treaty the
Entente Allies exact Of the Central Empires
$50, 900, 100000, the United States, by joining
the world peace league, voluntarily steps in
and engages to enforce such treaty. Is not
this enough at least to give us pause?
J. G. NJ.
Portsmouth, Ohio, Jan. 81, 1917.