The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-04-29
New York Editor Addresses
Small Audience at Meth
odist Church.
FOR UNITED NATIONS
~
.Publicist Speaks as, Repre-
sentative of League to
Enforce Peace.

0rchy IN international affairS, aOVO-
Gates Of world peace have only to win
the support of American opinion, said
Hamilton Holt, editor Of the Inde-
pendent, In an address at the First
Methodist Episcopal church last even
ing. France, Great Britain and Ger
many are ready; possible hesitancy by
the United States in joining world
League to Enforce Peace" is the
greatest danger now apparent in the
path OF the international peace move
ment.
Mr.. Holt, who is himself one Of the
fathers Of the League to Enforce
Peace. explained the proposals of his
organization and the present stage of
its plans to an audience deeply in
terested but shocEingly small. The
state University and the Missoula
Chamber Of Commerce. under whose
joint auspices Nj. Holt came to Mis-
soula, had prepared to care for huge
gathering. The church was not half
filled. "st ""
/. Peace IN D;srepute.
peace. which once seemed on the
point Of becoming respectable. has now
fallen back into disrepute," said Mr.
Holt in thu course Of his lecture. Per-
haps the disrepute Of peace Kept many
away from the speech. At any rate
Mr. Hollis main effort was to prove
the decency of order.
In this effort he relied chiefly upon
an explanation Of the present attitude
and the purpose of the League to En-
force Peace. III G,
Mot "Pacifi.t' League.
"Ours is not 'pacifist' organization
in the current sense Of the word. We
have stood firmly for preparedness;
we favored American participation in
the world war. The League to Enforce
Peace is seeking not to hamper the
nation in this war hut to make war
less probable in the future"
Kant ana wilson, said the lecturer
have stated the conditions OF per-
nlanent peace as exten sion of democ-
racy. triumph over race hatreds and
creation OF courts and other machinery
for .the adjustment of international
disputes. The first and second con
ditions depend upon forces WITHIN ma :
tons; it Is in the third condition, the
political organization OF the world
that the League to Enforce Peace is
interested.
A Simple Plan.
The plan Of organization, Mr.. Hol
said. is quite simple. 1t is that thu
nations desiring the substitution o
organize as a vigilance committee
much as western pioneers, weary o
playing lone hands against lawless
ness. banded together for mutual pro
lection. Naturally this world leagu
to Enforce Peace will require arma
ments, even as vigilance committee
do. These armaments may. however
be reduced as the. number of OUTLAY
nations dwindles. until eventually
point will be reached where no NOR
than an international police force
will be necessary
"Of course the plan won't work on
so simply" said Mr.. Holt. "theorie
never do. But that is the basic diea
Four Great Principles.
The nations thus banded togetho
are to pledge themselves to four prin
clples stated by former President Tai
in a document (which may yet ran
with the Declaration Of Independence
read at a meeting in Independent
hall in June, 1915, (which may hay
marked the birth of a movement 6
important to the world as the war fl
independence was to this nation" TT
four agreements are to be:
/. That the members Of the
league shall establish court for
the settlement of all justiciable
disputes, with authority to decide
whether or not disputes be JUS
ticiable.
2. The members of the league
shall submit to councils of con-
Citation all disputes. not justicia-
BILE.
3. No nation in the world shall
be permitted to make war without
first referring its contention to
court or council, >the, penalty; to be
a war Of punishment by the league
4. The nations shall meet from
time to time to frame laws.
Not to Enforce Verdiets.
1t will lie seen, Mr.. Holt pointed o
that the league does not presume
establish structure of internatio,
law. The machinery for the devele
ment of world fedeTtion is p1
vided, and the principle that recou
to reason should precede force
established. Indeed, for the present
effort is to be made to enforce
decisions of court or council. Matte
will be compelled to do no more II
submit their disputes to trial.
Three considerable objections to t
program have been raised, said
Holt. Other opposition exists,
only that which will centers about
three following criticisms need.
feared:
BRYAN declares that for the Uni