The Washington herald., 1919-04-23
u. S. Interests in Europe
To Remain After Peace

when II obstructs Justice! But at AL
events this committee on responsibili-
ties for the war will have work Tor
the next two or three years and then
may continue as the prosecuting at
torney for the league Of nations, or |
OF such an alliance as may grow out |
of the war.
The committee appointed to execute |
the terms Of peace, even II Germany
should refuse to sign the terms, Will
have much work that the financial and
economic committees cannot do. The
military side will have much to do,
ana this committee probably win be
largely military. 1t Is hardly likely
that American troops will be kept In
Europe as a part Of the military force
Of occupation, though doubtless on the
committee we shall have military aides
and advisers. and some troops In the
army of occupation, and this commit
tee also may easily become a perma-
nent organ of future permanent
league or alliance-the police force OF
the brotherhood Of man."
Mandatories.
But the one committee which will
be operating when this generation has
been gathered to its fathers is the
committee on mandatories. The
least the allied world-has
entered upon the greatest communist
adventure which the world ever has
seen-a common ownership of colo
nies. It is international socialism
raised to its highest power. These
mandatories are really trusteeships.
or, better, receiverships Of colonies.
America. for instance. probably will
hold the Armenian republic. Our Job
will be to put II on its feet about as
we put Cuba on her feet, and to be re-
sponsible for the acts and debts of
the republic until such time as educa-
ton shall develop a citizenship in Ar
menia and In its neighboring states.
wise enough to keep the peace and
keep out OF prodigality and bank
ruptcy. We have done II in Cuba;
gradually we are working IL out in the
Philippines, and we have any number
of just such jobs in the West Indies.
They are under our own control; the
Armenian work will be under inter-
national supervision. and possibly
similar Jobs may develop for the al
lies in Russia to make a United States
of Russia rise from the ruins of Boil
shevism. At least this committee on
mandatories, as matters stand. is "a
lifetime job for the men who enter II.
and Is one of the most important and
most practical pieces OF work stand
ing before the men who won the mi
tary victory which closed the fighting
and began the new war for the politi-
cal and economic freedom of men In
the world.
1t took thousands of years to
work out the laws of the sea and
the work still Is incomplete. Tho
laws of the air will be stated during
the months of April and May by
the committee on International aer-
ial law. This committee will start
at the beginning. with a clean slate.
and work out an air code. which
will be adopted by the league or al
lance and which (during the time
when Germany is held as the mad
ward of civilization) will be impos-
ed upon Germany. The committee
on air navigation has divided itself
into three subcommittees: one on
military rules, another upon the
legal. financial and commercial
phases OF air navigation. and q third
upon the technical side. The COM
mittee expects to report to the al
lies a set of rules governing the
rights OF aircraft to cross friendly
States. the rights OF landing in
planes. OBJ military planes. and the
rights of nations below to have re-
stricted zones above their forts and
their rights to compel planes cross
ing to land on signal. Matters of
indemnity for airplane accidents,
matters Of common rights of inter-
national airplanes in airdomes. mat
ters pertaining to the licensing of
pilots and observers by internation-
al boards for international service
and such other matters as will occur
to experts in air navigation will
come up before this air committee
of the allies. and provision Is to be
made for n permanent commission
for enforcing the rules of the air.
and changing them from time to
time as development OF air service
continues. a similar committee Is
codifyinE the laws OF the sea. The
peace OF the world will demand such
international board of air and sea
travel. and league or no league,
these boards will have to be a part
of the international machinery Of
the new world.
Three Other Committees.
Now in addition to these nine
committees already established and
already at work on present prob
lens. it seems likely that before the
Peace Conference adjourns it will
provide for two or three other COM
mittees. These are on science. agri-
culture and education. The continu-
Gus growth of knowledge in the
world imposes new International
duties. If one nation for instance
discovers a method to prevent the
spread of tuberculosis or leprosy or
cancer. to make the discovery ef-
fective every nation must adopt IL.
Or If some new means of transpor-
tation is evolved. its use must be
international. The days work in
science is poorly done If it Is ma
tionalized rather than humanized.
Hence this cooperative committee is
needed. Similarly a committee on
agriculture is Urged. Briefly stated
its plans are these: To establish a
central international bureau through
which the. working farmers of the
world shall be able to cooperate
constantly in furnishing the world
with food. in securing just rewards
for their labor, improving their
methods of farming. in organizing
an active and satisfying community
life, and on maintaining a high de-
gree of democratic citizenship. A
large program, but easily possible of
fulfillment and particularly IL the
farmers of the world can meet and
discuss their common problems and
compare their various national stan
dards of living. The educational