The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1918-03-28
Richmond P. Hobson's
Views on Preparedness

1t is a cause for national congratu-
lation that the object lesson Of the
great war has at last brought home
to the American people realization
o fthe vital and fundamental import
ance of making adequate provision
for self preservation. All living
things, even in the plant kingdom
must make such provision; much less
can great nation hope to escape the
law. In nature, the animal that can
not fight must be able to hide or run.
The American nation can neither hide
nor run; it must be able to fight In
civilized society there are two general
means of self preservation; the first
and primitive one is that of individual
self defense; the later or higher
means is that of collective self de-
tense. The latter is obviously to be
preferred it can be realized and we
should make it automatic in our Ma
tional defense policy that America
will continually encourage, promote
and indeed take the leadership of the
world in fastening the day when the
nations collectively through adequate
international organization will pro-
vide effective means in providing each
individual nation in it's rights and vi
tai interests and in settling the differ
ences that arise between nations by
regular recourse to the processes of
law founded upon fundamental princi-
Piles of justice.
In the minds eye, we can picture
the establishment of an international
board or body with authority to codi-
fly international law and declare what
is and what is not the common law be-
tween nations as established by the
precedents and usages of the most
advanced nations and according with
the manifest principals of right and
justice. We can see in the future de-
velopments Of the embryo lodged in
The Hague conference into an inter-
national parliament; legislative body
vest with steadily increasing powers
until it will make statutes and laws to
govern the conduct of nations toward
each other and a development of the
embryo, lodged in the Hague Court
into an international judiciary with
authority to adjudicate causes be-
tween nations. The most difficult
branch of the international govern
ment's organization to evolve will be
the executive for the reasons that ma
tions, most of them from their birth
are sovereign and acknowledge no su-
perior authority but God and de-
velopment of the international exc
cutive will of course entail at least
the partial subordination of national
sovereignty to the international or
ganlzation. 1t may easily be con-
ceived how the most advanced nations
may form a compact, q council through
treaty agreement, gradually develop
ing into a confederation holding the
ornaments Of all the members ready
for the enforcement and execution of
the laws duly made and duly adiudi-
Gated by the legislative and judicial
branches of the international organi-
zation.
1t is not inconceivable that the ;.a-
vanced nations might develop ulti-
mately a constitution somewhat anal
ogous to the Constitution of the Unit
od States which developed the confcd-
GRAFTON of colonies into the United
States of America. Of course. do
not mean to say that in short order
we are to expect such complete de-
vclopment Of the international organ
i2ation but do say that the physical
barriers of distance and space have