New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-12-28
Cecil Insists
World League
Be Open TO All
Continued from page /

tines as shall prevent the recurrence of
50 awful a catastrophe
at is now comparatively easy to lay
down and indicate the fundamental
principles that league OF nations
should try to enforce. In order to pre-
vent the recurrence Of war. it must
attempt to substitute something like
the reign Of law for that brute force.
"The machinery required to enforce
these principles otfers the real diff
cultl, for it is obvious chat the reign
Ct law prcsupposes, in the inst place,
1 la giving power 10 enact law, and,
secondly, l2w providing for the ma
cHincy O. cniol-.n% law
Enforcement Chief Issue
~ - INC .aW-s .yihe power. there
4 I.ttlo dcov. "a. the Only possible
authority nh = {, AVS - bind nations
Is tie assembly :, tde nations them
se.vcs throa@i 'hein representatives.
IL, what o. tic II %chinery:s For the
enforcement Of -aWs among individuals.
se rel. chiefly upon. two great agen~
CO, courts OF law. whose DEGREES are
III t'matcly executed by physical force,
md public opinion. which in the end
i. sadc effective by moral sanctions.
But in international matters lie
difficulties III tie Way q establishing
courts Of Law which would command
obedience ale enormous The great
'roublc experienced IN the creation OF
Elective International ccurts always
HAS been to discover really satisfac-
tory means eli enforcing dccrees. VAR
Gus devices have bccn proposed but
ultimately they all come down to some
'orli Of international armed force
Practicability in Doubt
"Whcther any such plan is practi-
cable is gravely in doubt, tor it IL
vo,ves the most serious ;nroads upon
national sovereignty. How would it be
possible to preserve that, or what COM
promise is possible between the two
IDEAS of national sovereignty and inter-
national sovereignty7s Even com
promise might prove too great az III
novaton fer general acceptance.
"Thcsc circumstances may we'll lead
US astray if we start out on the road
toward a league Of nations attempting
to devise and erect an elaborate ma
chinery for actual enforcement of
peace. We must, indeed, set up def
mite. orderly methods of Cancellation
and arbitration. We must establish q
council Of all nations in more or less
permanent session. charged with the
duty of reviewing all cases of interna-
tional disputes.
Delay Makes for Peace
Discussion and delay always make
for peacc( and in the background there
is alwayl q threat of economic and, if
necessary, military pressure to compc'
aggressive countries to have recourse
to the council before appealing to the
arbitrament Of war.
"Above all, however, such a council
must have behind it an organized, con
ccntratcd, international public opinion
On this its real strength depends, al
any rate until the time when the ma
tis1ls will be genuinely willing to place
at its disposal an overwhelming pre-
ponderancc Of armed force. Even then
if We follow sound principles of lib
craism, it is on this general popular
consent rather than on force that the
progress Of true peace depends.
"Here, therefore, we arc faced by The
all important question of how such 81
international public opinion can be
concentrated and organized. 1t can be
attained only by radical change il
the international outlook and attitude
/ This | regard as indispensable.